NASA Artemis moon mission rocket launch called off for second time
Artemis I’s launch might be delayed until later this year, as NASA scrubbed its second launch attempt after another fuel leak that was “not manageable.”
World
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It looks likely that NASA will not attempt to launch Artemis I for the remainder of the launch period, which ends on Tuesday September 6.
Future launch opportunities, which fall in October, depend on whether or not NASA can fix what is wrong with the rocket, also known as a Space Launch System - the most powerful rocket ever developed by NASA, designed to send astronauts and their equipment to the lunar surface after an absence of 50 years.
NASA was forced to postpone the launch of its new Artemis I Moon rocket for the second time in a week.
Engineers detected a leak in the super rocket’s hydrogen tank, almost from the start of the countdown procedure on Sunday morning (AEDT).
“This was not a manageable leak,” said Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager.
“We will not be launching in this launch period,” said Jim Free, associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate.
“We are not where we wanted to be.”
The gigantic stack or launching tower and the SLS rocket andOrion spacecraft will be rolled back into the Vehicle Assembly Building.
The shuttle was sent back to the VA Building 20 times before it launched.
“We do not launch until we think it’s right,” NASA administrator Bill Nelson said, CNN reported. “These teams have labored over that and that is the conclusion they came to. I look at this as part of our space program, in which safety is the top of the list.”
It comes as millions around the globe and crowds gathered on beaches in Florida hoping to witness the historic blast-off of the Space Launch System (SLS), but a leak near the base of the rocket was found as ultra-cold liquid hydrogen was pumped in.
“The launch director waived off today’s Artemis I launch,” NASA said in a statement. “Multiple troubleshooting efforts to address the area of the leak... did not fix the issue.” The latest postponement “was the right decision after you develop this kind of leak,” astronaut Victor Glover told AFP.
“These (are) really incredibly complex machines. When you see a scrub, people should gain confidence, not lose confidence.”
Nasa now has another opportunity to launch the rocket on Monday or Tuesday.
The initial launch attempt on Monday was also halted after engineers detected a fuel leak and a sensor showed that one of the rocket’s four main engines was too hot.
Another attempt could take place Monday or Tuesday next week but NASA has to consider data from the latest aborted flight before making a decision.
After Tuesday, the rocket has to be hauled back into its assembly building to undergo tests that are carried out periodically.
The mission management team will meet Saturday afternoon and later hold a news conference.
They need to determine if another attempt can be made soon, said NASA administrator Bill Nelson.
The launch may have to be put off until mid-October because early next month a crew will use the Kennedy Space Centre to travel to the International Space Station, Nelson said on NASA’s internal video network.
— with AFP
Originally published as NASA Artemis moon mission rocket launch called off for second time
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