After overcoming the hydrogen leak problems that forced the postponement of the original deadline, engineers confirmed the readiness of the system for sharp operation. The four-member crew enters pre-launch quarantine on Friday and prepares for the first manned flight to the moon in more than half a century.
The American National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Thursday local time successfully managed the test refueling of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket as part of the Artemis program for a flight to the moon. TASR writes about it according to the AP agency.
- NASA successfully refueled the SLS rocket as part of the Artemis program.
- During the test, hydrogen leakage was minimal and safe.
- Artemis II is scheduled to launch with a crew on March 6 at the earliest.
For the second time this month, launch teams pumped more than 2.6 million liters of liquefied hydrogen (LH₂) and oxygen (LOX) into the SLS rocket’s tanks on the launch pad.
Hydrogen leakage was minimal
The countdown continued exactly as planned until the 30 second mark, then it was brought back and the last 10 minutes of the countdown was repeated again. NASA completed the test late Friday night and said the hydrogen leak was minimal, within safety limits.
It was the most demanding part of the two-day training countdown with the aim of analyzing the obtained data and enabling the launch of the Artemis II mission with four astronauts to the moon in March.
March flight plans
As a positive result of the latest test, the US-Canadian crew will prepare to enter a two-week quarantine ahead of the March launch window on Friday.
During a test two weeks ago, a dangerous amount of supercooled liquid hydrogen leaked from the connections between the ramp and the 98-meter-tall Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Therefore, the start planned for February 8 had to be postponed.
Problems with hydrogen leaks
NASA has been battling hydrogen fuel leaks since the space shuttle era. The first test flight of the unmanned Artemis I mission was therefore postponed several times until it successfully flew by the moon in November 2022.
The astronauts could take off as early as March 6, becoming the first humans to go to the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. There are five possible dates in March: March 6-9 and March 11. Additional launch windows will open on April 1, April 3-6, and April 30. It will be a key test before landing humans on the moon during the Artemis III mission.
