Artemis I to Attempt Launch in Late September

After several setbacks, NASA is slowly scheduling its Artemis I mission’s launch dates of September 23rd or 27th. Several things will need to go right for both dates to be possible, such as repairs to the rocket’s fueling system, a sign-off from the Space Force, and managing to stay clear of an array of space scheduling conflicts.

Artemis I will mark NASA’s first launch of the massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and will launch a spacecraft called Orion into orbit far past the Moon. This mission will have no crew and function as a test for future missions that will deliver astronauts back to the Moon for the first time in years.

After a hydrogen leak hindered NASA’s third attempt to go forward whit the launch on September 3rd, NASA chose to perform repairs while remaining on the launchpad. They will be switching out seals on the connection between the rocket and the fuel lines that deliver liquid hydrogen to the rocket. Remaining on the pad will allow the team to assess the new seals at cryogenic temperatures, simulating conditions that would occur throughout a real launch.

September 17th is now the target for the crucial cryogenic test, just leaving a few days before the first launch window opens on the 23rd. During a press conference, Mike Bolger, the Exploration Ground Systems program manager at Kennedy Space Center, stated that the team would require approximately four days between a successful test and a launch attempt.

Other than the immediate necessity to repair and evaluate the seals, there are additionally a few other significant concerns that might impact NASA’s ability to get Artemis I off the ground. Among the most significant includes a system inside the rocket known as the flight termination system, which enables the destruction of the rocket if something fails during launch.

Space Force to give the green light

It is an essential safety system when handling large rockets or missiles. It is required to be operational at the time of launch. The Space Force supervises launches within the Eastern Range, where NASA is trying to launch the rocket. It demands that the batteries on the flight termination system be certified as in working order at the moment of launch, something that can only be done at the Vehicle Assembly Building, 6.5 Km (and several hours) far from the launchpad.

NASA obtained one extension on the system’s certification, giving them a little breathing room during their earlier launch attempts. However, that waiver has passed, and they need to apply for a new extension. Eventually, it falls to the Space Force to say whether it believes the launch can safely move forward without rolling back into the VAB.

After that, there is everything else taking place in space. Now that NASA has passed up the late August / early September launch windows, the SLS must contend with other missions’ schedules. The agency picked the 23rd and the 27th to avoid conflicts with NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, planned to smash into an asteroid on September 26th. There’s additionally a crew booked to journey to the ISS in early October. If Artemis I misses the following launch windows, whether due to hold-ups in repairs or needing to roll back into the VAB for an inspection, the next opportunity to launch might be later in October.

Originally published by: The Verge