NASA announced Tuesday that it will try to launch its new megarocket to the Moon on Saturday, after a failed first attempt on Monday due to a technical problem.
“We have agreed to change our liftoff date to Saturday, September 3,” said Mike Sarafin, NASA’s Artemis 1 mission manager, which should mark the start of the US program’s mission back to the Moon.
A weather official said he was “optimistic” about Saturday’s weather, though the chance of unfavorable conditions during the two-hour shooting window, which begins at 2:17 p.m. local time, is “high.”
A problem during the launch on Monday.
The rocket launch was canceled at the last minute on Monday due to a cooling problem in one of the four main engines below the main stage. These RS-25 engines need to be cooled down so they are not shocked by ultra-cold fuel when started. But one of them could not reach the desired temperature.
This temperature is reached by letting a small part of the cryogenic fuel escape in the engines. This problem was caused by a “misconnection” in an element of the spacecraft, which has since been “fixed”, said John Honeycutt, in charge of the rocket program.
A leaking issue was also noted on Monday when filling the fuel tanks, and while it could be overcome, NASA teams will work to fix it on Saturday.
The Artemis 1 mission is to propel the unmanned Orion capsule into orbit around the Moon, to verify that the vehicle is safe for future astronauts, including the first woman and first person of color to walk on the lunar surface.
Source: BFM TV
