Technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida will begin rolling out the Artemis 1 rocket from the facility's Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at 12:01 a.m. on June 6. This only means that, after postponing testing of the next-generation Space Launch System (SLS) for weeks to repair the rocket, NASA is ready to try fuelling it again.
Artemis 1 will take NASA eight to 12 hours to move along the four-mile route to Launch Pad 39B, Engadget reported.
Artemis 1 Megarocket Will Return To Launch Pad (Again)
According to Space.com, Artemis 1 will send an uncrewed Orion capsule around the moon and back, marking the first launch of NASA's new SLS megarocket. Artemis 1 might launch as early as August, according to NASA officials, but the SLS and Orion must first undergo a series of fuelling and simulated launch countdown tests known as a wet dress rehearsal, which will begin on June 19 at KSC's Pad 39B.
NASA is reportedly planning to livestream parts of the event, particularly from the VAB when the rollout begins and Pad 39B when the SLS and Orion arrive.
You can watch Artemis 1's return to the launch pad below:
What Happened to the Previous Fueling Rehearsals?
Artemis 1's first wet dress rehearsal was scheduled to begin on April 1 and end 48 hours thereafter. It was postponed numerous times before being eventually canceled after three attempts to fuel the SLS were cut short, Space.com.
First Failed Fueling Attempt of Artemis 1
In the first attempt, it was previously reported that due to safety concerns with ground equipment on the booster's mobile launching platform, NASA has postponed the "wet dress rehearsal" for Artemis 1's SLS.
Another of our reports noted that the loading of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants into the SLS, as well as the completion of many simulated launch countdowns, were all expected to take roughly 48 hours. However, the Artemis 1 crew encountered numerous issues that caused those steps to be postponed.
Second Failed Fueling Attempt of Artemis 1
On April 12, Artemis 1 had its second wet dress rehearsal, although this time in a different format. After discovering a faulty valve on the Artemis 1 stack's mobile launch lower, the team decided to only feed the SLS core stage and not the upper stage. However, it too, leads to failure to fuel the megarocket.
Third Failed Fueling Attempt of Artemis 1
On April 14, personnel began fueling the core stage as planned, but were forced to stop when liquid hydrogen began to leak from one of the "umbilical" cables linking the mobile launch tower to the SLS.
The Artemis 1 Team Canceled the Planned Fourth Wet Dress Rehearsal
The Artemis 1 team had planned to make another tanking attempt on April 21, but instead chose to return the stack to KSC's Vehicle Assembly Building to replace the damaged valve and repair the leaky umbilical.
What Happens If the Most Recent Rehearsal Is a Success?
Space.com mentioned that the wet dress rehearsal on June 19 will last roughly 48 hours if all goes according to plan. Artemis 1 has a number of launch windows, and NASA officials have expressed cautious optimism for an August launch.
However, an official target won't be set until the data from the dress rehearsal is completely examined.
