A liquid hydrogen leak has stopped the uncrewed launch, a set up for an eventual human return to the moon, until at least a few weeks.
Published Sep. 3, 2022 12:37 PM EDT | Updated Sep. 5, 2022 8:34 AM EDT
The launch of NASA's uncrewed Artemis I moon rocket and Orion space capsule has been moved for a second time.
Officials from the agency detected a liquid hydrogen leak at approximately 7:15 a.m. EDT Saturday in the quick disconnect cavity, which feeds hydrogen in the engine during the Space Launch System's core stage.
Hoping to have launched the Artemis I by 2:17 p.m. EDT, the leak could not be fixed in time. During a Saturday morning troubleshooting session, engineers were unable to plug the hydrogen leak. NASA commentator Derrol Nail stated that engineers warmed up the area where an 8-inch liquid hydrogen fuel line enters the propellant tank, then pushed super-cold propellant through to seal the link.
Nail also stated that attempts were made to depressurize the line, but these attempts to fix the issue did not stop the leak.
The Artemis 1 rocket stands ready for launch on Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The launch was postponed for a second time Saturday. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Originally scheduled for Monday, Aug. 29, the long-awaited launch was moved to Saturday due to a separate fuel leak. Monday's technical difficulties prompted launch controllers to halt the countdown at T-40 minutes, or 40 minutes until liftoff.
The Artemis I launch was scheduled to be the first step toward returning human astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972, with the uncrewed Orion capsule scheduled to fly to the moon, orbit, then return to Earth.
The next launch opportunity for Artemis I won't be for weeks, possibly late October, according to WBAP.
The 42-day mission would send the spacecraft into Distant Retrograde Orbit, a long-distance orbit that would send Orion 40,000 miles past the moon. NASA stated that Orion would be sent further away from Earth than any prior spacecraft built to carry humans.
The mission profile for Artemis I, the first mission for NASA's new SLS rocket. (NASA)
After the Distant Retrograde Orbit, Orion would have resumed a closer orbit of the moon before using the moon's gravity and its own engines to come back to Earth.
NASA aims to send the first crewed Artemis mission, Artemis III, to the moon in 2025.
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