NASA continues work on the SLS rocket and prepares for a major test of the Artemis I mission

Engineers of Pot The mission continues with the goal of a critical test next week before the unmanned mission takes off Artemis And whose deliverance Cape Canaveral (Florida) has a tentative date for the next one September 27.

The US space agency said it will hold a teleconference on Monday.Cryogenic demonstration test“Wednesday morning next, This will allow them to verify that the hydrogen leak in the SLS rocket seen on Artemis I’s second launch attempt has been fixed. Done in early September.

During the test next week, Missile controllers will load Supercold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen In the middle stage and intermediate stage SLSThe most powerful rocket ever built Pot It plans to send humans to the moon and eventually to Mars.

These loads will help to check the hermetic sealing of the two plates This is the area where the leak occurred, on the side of the rocket where the liquid hydrogen fuel supply line connects to the quick disconnect system.

In the same way, Evaluations of updated propellant loading procedures will be performedThese are designed to reduce thermal stress on the rocket system, among other experiments.

Technical experts Pot They have been working in recent days under a tent-like cover to protect hardware and equipment from weather and other environmental conditions. Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39BIn Florida, the rocket and ship are still kept Orion.

If Wednesday’s demo is successful, The Pot The best chance of launching this historic mission is on the 27th of this month, if all goes according to plan. The Orion spacecraft will return to Earth on November 5..

The 70-minute release window will open on September 27 at 11:37 am local time.

An alternative launch date, still pending confirmation, is being explored for October 2, in which case the Orion spacecraft would return on November 11, with a 109-minute launch window opening at 2:52 p.m. local time.

The Pot Maintains a staffing program of SpaceX to do International Space Station No later than 12:45pm (4:45pm GMT) on Monday 3 October.

The first launch attempt of Artemis I Happened on August 29, but The powerful rocket was canceled due to failure of one of its 4 RS-25 engines 98 meter high SLS. A second attempt followed on September 3 and was suspended due to a liquid hydrogen leak.

The purpose of the first task Artemis is to be kept Testing the capabilities of the SLS and Orion spacecraft ahead of a manned mission planned for 2024A third will follow, marking the first time since 1972 that American astronauts, including a woman and a person of color, will set foot on the lunar surface.

task Artemis I, Taking off without a crew, the Orion spacecraft will orbit the Moon in 37 days, 23 hours and 53 minutes, eliminating round trips.

(with information from EFE)

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