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On Sunday morning, NASA cut short an implementation countdown for its new megarocket Space Launch System. Returning astronauts to the moon is a key component of upcoming missions, and the agency said there was a problem with the mobile launch tower.
NASA will try again on Monday.
The 322-foot-long rocket and Orion capsule are crucial components for Artemis, NASA’s moon landing program. System that can launch astronauts into lunar orbit, but rely on it other components that will land them on the moon’s surfacebillions of dollars in budget and years behind schedule.
The weekend exercise, which NASA calls a wet suit rehearsal, is the last major test before the rocket launch on the first uncrewed test flight, which could take place as soon as this summer. By simulating a countdown without the firing of engines and the excitement of a rocket ascending into space, NASA hoped to solve glitches in equipment and procedures.
The rehearsal, which began Friday night, was “wet” because it would involve pumping more than 700,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into the massive rocket’s fuel tanks.
Heavy thunderstorms swept over the launch site Saturday afternoon. four lightning strikes Protective towers around the rocket and launcher. During the storm, the launcher had to take a break from preparatory work, but after reviewing the data, NASA said there was no damage and the countdown could continue.
On Sunday, the dress rehearsal was more than three hours behind schedule. Then, just before the propellants started flowing, the stall occurred. NASA said the problem resides in the mobile launcher or mobile tower, which has multiple systems used to manage the rocket on the ground before it takes off. Fans that create positive air pressure in closed areas on the mobile launcher were not working. Positive pressure is required to prevent the build-up of dangerous gases, including those that can potentially ignite.
The fan has been working since the mobile launcher was installed. moved to launch site last month Launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson said at a news conference Sunday evening that he continued to run during Saturday’s storm.
To charge the propellants, the fan is put into a different mode where it can blow more air. The fan ran in this mode for several hours before the problem occurred.
“We don’t believe it was lightning related,” said Ms. Blackwell-Thompson.
Then, apparently for a different reason, a backup fan also failed, causing the countdown to stop.
“We decided we really wanted to understand this because it was the first load of the vehicle,” said Ms. Blackwell-Thompson. “And we decide to stay on the ground.”
On Monday, the loading of propellants will begin at 7 a.m. Eastern time, and the drill will end in the afternoon. If the rehearsal runs into more problems, another attempt may be possible on Tuesday.
Artemis 1, the Space Launch System’s first test flight, could take place this summer as the Orion capsule travels around the moon and returns to Earth with the astronauts. The second Artemis flight, scheduled for 2024, would have astronauts on board for the same trip. Artemis 3 will be astronauts’ first moon landing since 1972. NASA has proposed a 2025 date for this crewed voyage, but it could face further delays.
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