NASA's Artemis II mission might be launched in March
What's the story
NASA has successfully completed a wet dress rehearsal for its Artemis II test flight, marking a major milestone in the mission. The two-day test involved loading cryogenic propellant into the Space Launch System (SLS) tanks and draining the rocket safely. Despite some challenges, engineers were able to meet most of their planned objectives during this prelaunch test.
Launch schedule
Artemis II astronauts released from quarantine
The successful completion of the wet dress rehearsal has pushed NASA to target March as the earliest possible launch opportunity for the Artemis II flight test. This shift means that the astronauts who were in quarantine since January 21 will now be released. They won't travel to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida as initially planned, but will enter quarantine again about two weeks before the next targeted launch date.
Technical challenges
Challenges faced during the test
The wet dress rehearsal was a complex operation that took place over an approximately 49-hour countdown. Engineers had to contend with cold weather at Kennedy Space Center, which delayed tanking operations as they worked to bring some interfaces to acceptable temperatures before propellant loading could begin. They also spent several hours troubleshooting a liquid hydrogen leak in an interface used for routing cryogenic propellant into the rocket's core stage.
Countdown operations
Test filled all tanks in both core and interim stages
The teams successfully filled all tanks in both the core stage and interim cryogenic propulsion stage, before a five-member team was sent to the launch pad for Orion closeout operations. They also conducted a first run at terminal countdown operations during this test, counting down to about five minutes left in the countdown. However, it was automatically stopped by ground launch sequencer due to an increase in liquid hydrogen leak rate.
Press conference
NASA to hold press conference tonight
NASA will hold a press conference at 11:30pm IST today to discuss the initial results from the wet dress rehearsal. It will be streamed live on NASA's YouTube channel. "Crew safety will remain the highest priority, ensuring NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen return home at the end of their mission," said a statement from NASA released today.