The Artemis team has had time to review the data collected from a fourth attempt at a final launch test held on Monday and has determined that no further rehearsals are required. The test simulates all stages of the launch without the rocket exiting the launch pad of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
“During wet suit testing activities, we have progressively increased our knowledge of how the rocket and ground systems work together, and our teams have become proficient in launch procedures at various locations,” Tom Whitmeyer, assistant associate administrator of NASA’s joint exploration. systems development said in a statement.
“We have completed the rehearsal phase and everything we have learned will help improve our take-off capability during the target launch window.”
Monday’s test included loading the four rocket tanks with superfred propulsion, doing a full countdown, and draining the rocket tanks. A hydrogen leak and other problems that arose during the test prevented the team from getting as far back with two counts as expected.
However, the team concluded that the test attempts have achieved almost all the necessary goals before the launch.
“We only had 13 of the 128 commanded functions we planned in counting terminals that were not successfully achieved,” Phil Weber, senior director of technical integration for NASA’s terrestrial exploration systems program, said during a press conference Friday.
“And we examined them in detail and it turns out that most have already been validated in previous tests.”
On Friday later, engineers will test the booster hydraulic power unit while the rocket is still on the launch pad, a component that was not included in Monday’s test.
“The units contain hydrazine-powered turbines connected to pumps that provide pressure to rotate the booster nozzles used to steer the rocket during the ascent,” according to a NASA statement.
Friday night’s test is not necessary, but engineers want to take a quick look around the system to mitigate any risk of malfunction in the future, said John Blevins, chief engineer of NASA’s space launch system program.
Next week, the Artemis team will roll back the 322-foot (98-meter-high) space launch system and the Orion spacecraft into the vehicle assembly building. The battery will remain in the building for six to eight weeks for repairs and launch preparations.
Engineers have developed a plan to complete the final goals, such as replacing a seal to address 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 exploration systems program.
This plan prepares the team for a launch opportunity that opens in late August. There are launch windows from August 23-29, September 2-6 and beyond.
The unmanned Artemis I will be launched on a mission that goes beyond the Moon and returns to Earth. This mission will launch NASA’s Artemis program, which is expected to return humans to the moon and land the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface in 2025.
“The team continues to impress me with their creative thinking and ingenuity,” said Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director at Kennedy. “Our Artemis launch team has worked quickly to adapt to the dynamics of propeller loading operations. With each milestone and each test, we are one step closer to launch.”