NASA Advances Artemis II After Successful Moon Rocket Fuel Test
Nasa made another attempt to fuel its massive moon rocket on Thursday after leaks interrupted the initial dress rehearsal, postponing the first lunar mission with astronauts in over fifty years. For the second time this month, launch teams have transferred over 700,000 gallons (2.6 million liters) of supercold fuel into the rocket positioned on its launch pad. They meticulously counted down to the half-minute mark as intended, then reset the clocks to replay the final 10 minutes once more. Nasa completed the test late at night, stating, “there was minimal hydrogen leakage, well within safety limits.” The two-day practice countdown reached its most critical and challenging phase. Engineers were meticulously analysing the data, with the outcome determining whether a March launch is feasible for the Artemis II moon mission featuring four astronauts.
In a positive development, the US-Canadian crew commenced a two-week quarantine period on Friday to ensure what Nasa described as flexibility within the March launch window. On Thursday, three of the astronauts participated with the launch team to oversee the progress. Two weeks ago, during the rehearsal, significant quantities of supercold liquid hydrogen leaked from the connections between the pad and the 322-foot (98-meter) Space Launch System rocket. Engineers undertook the replacement of a pair of seals and a clogged filter, aiming to successfully navigate the repeat test at Kennedy Space Center. Nasa stated that the results from Thursday instilled confidence in the new seals among engineers. The earliest opportunity for the astronauts to launch is March 6. They will be the first individuals to journey to the moon, embarking on a 10-day round trip without any stops, since Apollo 17 in 1972. They will neither orbit nor land.
Nasa has faced challenges with hydrogen fuel leaks since the era of the space shuttle, which supplied numerous engines for the SLS. The initial Artemis test flight, which had no crew aboard, faced delays for several months due to hydrogen leaks before successfully launching in November 2022. According to NASA’s new administrator Jared Isaacman, a tech entrepreneur who financed his own trips to orbit through SpaceX, going years between flights exacerbates the problem. Only two months into his role, Isaacman is already committing to redesign the fuel connections between the rocket and the pad ahead of the upcoming Artemis III launch.
In a few years, that mission aims to land two astronauts close to the moon’s south pole. “We will not launch unless we are ready and the safety of our astronauts will remain the highest priority,” he said last week on X. Isaacman emphasized the importance of safety during Thursday’s fueling test, while also issuing a critical report on Boeing’s Starliner capsule program, which resulted in two astronauts being stranded for months aboard the International Space Station. He stated that the crisis could have led to a loss of crew, attributing responsibility to both Boeing and NASA leadership.
