NASA said Wednesday it had successfully trialed the fueling process for its
new rocket, after technical issues a few weeks ago halted two attempts to get
the behemoth off the ground and headed towards the Moon.
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"All of the objectives that we set out to do we were able to accomplish
today," said Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, launch director of the program
called Artemis 1.
The unmanned mission hopes to test the new 30-story SLS rocket as well as
the unmanned Orion capsule that sits atop it, in preparation for future
Moon-bound journeys with humans aboard.
The last attempt in early September to launch NASA's most powerful rocket
yet had to be aborted because of a leak while its cryogenic fuels -- liquid
hydrogen and oxygen -- were being pumped into the rocket's tanks.
Repairs were carried out and Wednesday's test involved filling those tanks
again.
Though a small hydrogen leak was detected during the test, NASA engineers
were able to get it under control.
Last week NASA said it is now aiming for September 27 as the next date for
liftoff. October 2 was set as a backup date.
"Teams will evaluate the data from the test, along with weather and
other factors, before confirming readiness to proceed into the next launch
opportunity," NASA said.
Asked about the timing of the next launch attempt, Blackwell-Thompson
declined to comment, though she said she was "extremely encouraged by the
test today."
US officials are also keeping a close eye on Hurricane Fiona's trajectory
off the coast in the Atlantic.
For the September 27 date to be possible, NASA must receive a waiver to
avoid retesting the batteries on a detonation system used to destroy the rocket
if it strays uncontrollably off course.
The next mission, Artemis 2, would take astronauts to the Moon without
landing on its surface, while the third -- set for the mid-2020s -- would see
the first woman and person of color on lunar soil.
NASA wants to build a lunar space station called Gateway and keep a
sustained presence on the Moon to gain insight into how to survive very long
space missions, ahead of a mission to Mars in the 2030s.
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