NASA completes Artemis II fuel test, targets March launch

NASA has completed a wet dress rehearsal for its Artemis II test flight, successfully fueling and draining the Space Launch System rocket and carrying out key prelaunch procedures, the agency said early Tuesday.

During the test, teams loaded cryogenic propellant into the tanks of the Space Launch System (SLS), sent personnel to the launch pad to complete closeout work on the Orion spacecraft, and safely drained the rocket. The wet dress rehearsal is designed to simulate launch-day fueling and identify potential issues before an actual liftoff, News.Az reports, citing NASA.

Engineers encountered several challenges over the two-day test but were able to meet many of the planned objectives. To allow additional time to analyze data and conduct another wet dress rehearsal, NASA said it is now targeting March as the earliest possible launch opportunity for the Artemis II mission.

Shifting away from a February launch window also means the Artemis II astronauts will be released from quarantine, which began in Houston on Jan. 21. As a result, the crew will no longer travel to Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday as previously planned. They are expected to re-enter quarantine roughly two weeks ahead of the next targeted launch date.

NASA began the roughly 49-hour countdown at 8:13 p.m. EST on Jan. 31. Leading up to and during fueling operations on Feb. 2, engineers closely monitored how cold weather at Kennedy affected systems and implemented procedures to protect hardware. Low temperatures delayed the start of tanking operations as teams worked to bring several interfaces to acceptable conditions before loading propellant.

During tanking, teams spent several hours troubleshooting a liquid hydrogen leak at an interface used to route cryogenic propellant into the rocket’s core stage, putting the countdown behind schedule. Efforts to address the issue included stopping the hydrogen flow, allowing the interface to warm so seals could reseat, and adjusting propellant flow rates.

Despite the challenges, teams successfully filled all tanks in both the core stage and the interim cryogenic propulsion stage. A five-person team was then sent to the launch pad to complete Orion closeout operations. Engineers also conducted a first run of terminal countdown operations, counting down to about five minutes remaining before the ground launch sequencer automatically halted the countdown due to a spike in the liquid hydrogen leak rate.

Additional issues emerged during the test. A valve associated with pressurization of the Orion crew module hatch — which had recently been replaced — required retorquing, and closeout operations took longer than planned. Cold weather affected several cameras and pieces of equipment, which did not hinder the rehearsal but would have required extra attention on launch day. Engineers have also been investigating intermittent dropouts in audio communications among ground teams, several of which reoccurred during the test.

During closeout operations, teams implemented updated procedures to purge Orion’s service module cavities with breathing air rather than gaseous nitrogen. This change is intended to ensure the safety of personnel assisting astronauts into their seats and sealing the spacecraft’s hatches inside the White Room.

With March now identified as a potential launch window, NASA said teams will thoroughly review data from the rehearsal, address each issue, and return to testing before setting an official launch date.

NASA emphasized that crew safety remains the top priority for Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, as they prepare for the mission and their eventual return to Earth.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev