Space Launch System – Page 7

NASA restarts moon rocket wet dress rehearsal countdown

April 12, 2022 William Harwood

NASA restarted a two-day dress-rehearsal countdown Tuesday for the agency’s new Space Launch System moon rocket after a series of unrelated glitches, mostly involving ground systems, blocked two earlier attempts to fully fuel the huge launcher to verify its readiness for flight.

Citing valve problem, NASA will load only the SLS core stage in next countdown test

April 9, 2022 Stephen Clark

A problem with a helium valve on the Space Launch System moon rocket’s upper stage will require ground teams to only partially load the giant launcher with cryogenic propellants during an upcoming countdown dress rehearsal, NASA officials said Saturday. NASA also confirmed teams now targeting Thursday for the next try to complete the test.

NASA’s SLS moon rocket, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 share the scene at Kennedy Space Center

April 6, 2022 Stephen Clark

NASA’s Artemis 1 moon rocket and SpaceX’s Falcon 9 shared the scene Wednesday at the Kennedy Space Center — the first time since 2009 that rockets have stood on both pads at Launch Complex 39.

NASA bumps Artemis countdown rehearsal until after Axiom crew launch

April 5, 2022 Stephen Clark

NASA officials said Tuesday they are standing down from a cryogenic loading test on the agency’s Space Launch System moon rocket until after the launch of a commercial crew mission from a neighboring pad at the Kennedy Space Center. A countdown test Monday was delayed by what NASA managers characterized as minor issues, including a liquid oxygen temperature concern and a manual valve that was left in the wrong configuration before teams evacuated the SLS launch pad.

Ground system problem halts Artemis 1 countdown dress rehearsal

April 3, 2022 Stephen Clark

NASA launch controllers called off plans to load super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the first fully-assembled Space Launch System moon rocket Sunday for a countdown dress rehearsal, giving time for ground teams to troubleshoot problems with fans used to ventilate the giant rocket’s mobile launch structure at the Kennedy Space Center.

Artemis 1 wet dress rehearsal timeline

April 3, 2022 Stephen Clark

This timeline covers major countdown activities planned during the NASA’s wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis 1 mission. The wet dress rehearsal will include loading of more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the Space Launch System moon rocket on launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Live coverage: NASA evaluating next opportunity for SLS countdown test

April 3, 2022 Stephen Clark

NASA started loading liquid oxygen into the Space Launch System’s core stage Monday, but scrubbed a countdown dress rehearsal before pumping propellants into the rocket’s remaining propellant tanks. A previous fueling attempt was scrubbed Sunday due to a ground system issue at the Kennedy Space Center. The cryogenic tanking operation is part of a full-up countdown dress rehearsal ahead of the launch of unpiloted Artemis 1 moon mission.

NASA begins critical Artemis countdown rehearsal at Kennedy Space Center

April 1, 2022 Stephen Clark

NASA commenced a two-day countdown dress rehearsal for the agency’s huge Space Launch System moon rocket Friday, with clocks ticking down to a critical milestone Sunday, when the heavy-lifter will be fueled and pressurized on the launch pad for the first time.

NASA gives priority to Artemis ground test over commercial astronaut launch

March 25, 2022 Stephen Clark

NASA officials gave the green light Friday for the first all-commercial astronaut launch to the International Space Station on a SpaceX rocket as soon as April 3. But the astronaut launch could be delayed a day, or longer, to give priority to a countdown test for NASA’s Space Launch System moon rocket on a neighboring launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center.

Hydrazine loading operations conclude at the SLS launch pad

March 25, 2022 Spaceflight Now

Technicians wearing protective self-contained suits loaded toxic hydrazine fuel into the Space Launch System’s hydraulic power units Friday on pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center. NASA is gearing up for a countdown dress rehearsal which could start as soon as April 1.