Final test of NASA’s Artemis I mission postponed to March

The latest pre-launch test of Artemis I (an unmanned mission that represents the first step in NASA’s ambitious project to return humans to the Moon) has been delayed until mid-March, according to the space agency. This means that the actual launch of the mission could be pushed back to April or May.

The Space Launch System (SLS) propulsion rocket, NASA’s most powerful to date, will sit below the Orion spacecraft during the test next month on Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The test had originally been scheduled for mid-February. It includes reviewing the entire set of operations to fill the tanks with propellant, plus the countdown to launch—basically, everything needed for launch, without actually launching.

The ensemble formed by the rocket and the spacecraft reaches 98 meters in height and is currently inside the Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida. If the test is successful, the rocket and spacecraft will return to that building and remain there until launch day.

Test results determine when Artemis I will be released. There are currently two potential release periods. The first is between the 8th and 23rd of April; the second, between the 7th and 21st of May.

“While the teams are not dealing with any major issues, NASA has given additional time to complete closure activities at the VAB. [Vehicle Assembly Building] before bringing the rocket [para o local do teste] for the first time,” the agency said in a statement. “Engineers are conducting the last integrated tests between Orion and the SLS along with the ground equipment, before bringing the rocket and spacecraft to the launch pad.”

Tom Whitmeyer, who works in the exploration systems development sector at NASA’s headquarters in Washington, said the team is taking time to be careful as they work through a long list of tasks to complete until the vehicle is ready. for the final test.

“This is the part where we’re wrapping things up and getting ready for launch, and there’s a lot of activity attached to that,” Whitmeyer said.

Over the past few months, teams have installed and tested various components and instruments on the vehicle.

“We are taking it one step at a time. We’re doing this meticulously and we’re proud of the progress we’ve made,” said Mike Bolger, program manager for NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems at Kennedy Space Center. “So we’re finding the balance: we’re continuing to work to have the launch happen as soon as we’re ready, but not before that.”

The Artemis program has experienced a number of delays. Initially, the launch of the unmanned mission would take place in November, but the schedule has been delayed due to the pandemic, storms such as Hurricane Ida and other factors.

During Artemis I’s flight, the Orion unmanned spacecraft will be launched from SLS rocket propulsion, arriving at the Moon and traveling thousands of kilometers after passing through it — farther than any spacecraft designed to carry humans has ever been. traveled. This mission should last a few weeks and will end with Orion crashing into the Pacific Ocean.

The Artemis I mission will be the final test before the Orion spacecraft (this time, carrying humans) goes to the moon, said Cathy Koerner, program manager at Johnson Space Center, NASA’s flight control center, in October.

After the Artemis I unmanned flight, there will be the Artemis II mission, which will make a manned flyby over the Moon, and Artemis III, which will take astronauts to the satellite — including the first woman (and black person) to step on the surface. lunar. The schedule of upcoming missions depends on the completion of Artemis I.