The Artemis team had time to review the data collected from a successful fourth attempt for a final pre-launch test on Monday and found that no more wet rehearsals were needed. The test simulates each stage of the launch without the rocket leaving the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
“During wet rehearsal activities, we gradually added to our knowledge of how the rocket and ground systems work together, and our teams became proficient in multi-site launch procedures,” said Tom Whitmeier, deputy administrator for NASA’s general development study. systems, a statement said.
“We have completed the rehearsal phase and everything we have learned will help us improve our ability to take off during the target launch window.
Monday’s test involved refueling the four rocket tanks with super-cold fuel, going through a full countdown and draining the rocket tanks. Hydrogen leaks and other problems that occurred during the test prevented the team from going as far as two countdowns as planned.
However, the team concluded that the test attempts achieved almost all the goals needed before launch.
“We had only 13 of the 128 command functions we planned in the number of terminals that were not successfully completed,” said Phil Webber, senior technical integration manager for NASA’s ground-based research program, during a news conference Friday.
“And we looked at them in detail and it turned out that most of them had already been validated in previous tests.”
Later on Friday, engineers will test the booster hydraulic unit while the rocket is still sitting on the launch pad, a component that was not included in Monday’s test.
“The devices contain hydrazine-powered turbines attached to pumps that provide pressure to rotate the booster nozzles used to control the rocket during launch,” NASA said in a statement.
The test on Friday night is optional, but engineers want to make a quick rotation of the system to reduce any risk of failure in the future, said John Blevins, chief engineer for NASA’s space launch program.
Next week, the Artemis team will throw the 322-foot (98-meter) space launch system and a pile of Orion spacecraft back into the vehicle assembly building. The combination will remain in the building for six to eight weeks for repairs and preparation for commissioning.
Engineers have developed a plan to meet end goals, such as replacing a gasket to deal with liquid hydrogen leakage during this time. The team will also test and install pyrotechnics for the flight termination system hardware, said Cliff Lanham, senior vehicle operations manager for NASA’s ground-based systems research program.
This plan prepares the team for a launch opportunity that opens in late August. There are windows to run from August 23 to August 29, September 2 to September 6 and beyond.
Artemis I without a crew will launch a mission that goes beyond the moon and returns to Earth. This mission will launch NASA’s Artemis program, which is expected to bring humans back to the moon and land the first woman and the first man of color on the lunar surface by 2025.
“The team continues to impress me with their creative thinking and ingenuity,” said Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis’ director of launch at Kennedy. “Our Artemis launch team is working quickly to adapt to the dynamics of refueling operations. With each stage and each test, we are one step closer to launch.”
Add Comment