NASA’s SLS rocket will have another wet rehearsal, and “Artemis 1” is expected to fly for the first time in August

IT House May 28 news, NASA (NASA) announced the moon landing project – the Artemis program (Artemis) between the second half of this year and the first half of next year. The first unmanned test flight of the first stage is expected to launch in August this year.

It is reported that the first flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is planned to push the rocket and Orion spacecraft back to the LC-39B launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:00 on June 6, Beijing time. Next launch wet rehearsal attempt.

(IT Home Science: Wet dress rehearsal WDR refers to the launch drill with refueling. Everything is the same as the launch except for the last few seconds before pressing the launch button. It is the last key test before launch. Rehearsal corresponds.)

It is reported that the wet rehearsal test is tentatively scheduled for June 19. If all goes well with this wet rehearsal, NASA’s Artemis 1 mission is expected to launch as soon as August this year.

Under the constraints of various factors, NASA initially selected 158 suitable launch opportunities. NASA explained that the first uncrewed test flight of the Orion spacecraft will last anywhere from 26 to 42 days, depending on the timing of the launch.

It is reported that in order to “return to the moon” plan, NASA built this platform called the Space Launch System (SLS) for the Artemis project, which is also the most powerful rocket launch system built by NASA since the 1960s. The entire launch system is about 30 stories high, weighs about 8.8 million pounds, and has a maximum cargo capacity of about 27,216 kilograms. NAS will use this to carry a new generation of spacecraft that will be used for various space exploration missions in the future – the Orion spacecraft.

The Artemis project is divided into three phases, namely the unmanned Artemis 1 (Artemis I), the first manned flight Artemis 2, and the final manned Moon landing Artemis 3. What NASA is currently considering is a launch date for the SLS during the Artemis 1 phase.

The SLS rocket will launch the unmanned Orion capsule into lunar orbit no earlier than August for a orbit around the moon. Additionally, NASA hopes to launch Artemis 3 no earlier than late 2025.

NASA said: “The selected date will affect the flight path of the spacecraft, and it must be ensured that the spacecraft cannot fly for more than 90 minutes in a state of lack of light, so that the solar panels above can be charged enough to power the operation of various instruments on the spacecraft. Project planning What personnel have identified so far are dates that cannot be launched, that is, launching at those times that would cause the spacecraft to be in a light-deprivation state for an extended period of time.”

If all preparations go well, NASA hopes to launch a test flight in August. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson (Bill Nelson) said at a congressional hearing in mid-May: “We plan to launch in August.” However, NASA still has a lot of work to do, so some people estimate that it may be delayed until September.

It is worth mentioning that NASA conducted a “wet rehearsal” at the beginning of the year without success, and the four previous WDR attempts in March and April were cancelled at the last minute. The reason for the last time was that the bolts were loose and had to be retightened; the helium valve on the rocket’s Temporary Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) was replaced; a 34-hour nitrogen test was required, and more.

NASA said engineers successfully completed issues identified in previous rehearsal tests, including replacing and testing the upper stage check valve and fixing a small leak in the aft maintenance mast. Following the wet dress rehearsal, the team also completed some tasks originally planned for the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB).

Through the Artemis mission, NASA will land the first woman and first astronaut of color on the moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and laying the groundwork for the first astronauts to land on Mars.

“The spacecraft itself is a very simple spacecraft, but whenever you’re doing cryogenic loading operations, you have to do it one step at a time,” Tom Whitmeyer, NASA’s associate deputy administrator for exploration systems, told reporters on Friday. Everything we’ve seen so far has been very positive, in terms of actual performance, but we’re still doing some processing.”

He said NASA needs some time buffer in case the team needs to do more than one WDR. A full rehearsal is required before a decision is made.