Additional Coverage:
NASA’s Artemis II Mission Faces Chilly Delays, Now Set for Early February Launch
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA is pushing full steam ahead with preparations for the Artemis II mission to the moon, despite recent frigid temperatures in Florida that temporarily put the brakes on key pre-launch tests. The space agency has adjusted its timeline for the final tests of the Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion capsule, now targeting a launch no earlier than February 8.
Originally, the fueling phase of the crucial wet dress rehearsal was slated for Saturday night. However, a significant blast of Arctic air swept down to the Kennedy Space Center, making conditions too cold to safely load propellants into the rocket’s fuel tanks. This necessitated a postponement of the fueling tests to Monday, with the powering up of the SLS rocket’s core stage held off until Sunday morning.
“NASA continues to press ahead through the countdown for the Artemis II wet dress rehearsal,” the agency stated, confirming that “Teams monitored all systems throughout the overnight hours [Saturday] during cold temperatures and high winds.”
The wet dress rehearsal is a comprehensive simulation designed to test the entire launch team and the complex sequence of operations involved in a space launch. This includes engineers spread across Florida, Mission Control at Johnson Space Center in Houston, and various other NASA facilities.
A critical part of this rehearsal is the tanking phase, which involves loading over 700,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen – a process identical to what will occur before the actual launch. This test meticulously goes through filling, topping off, and replenishing the tanks over a series of predetermined loading milestones.
Additionally, engineers are gearing up to charge the Orion space capsule’s flight batteries and the core stage battery. Final preparations of the umbilical arms and a walk-down at the launch pad are also underway.
It’s important to note that tanking operations demand an outdoor temperature above 41 degrees Fahrenheit, and cannot drop below 40 degrees for more than 30 consecutive minutes, a requirement for both the rehearsal and the actual launch.
The full wet dress rehearsal is a complete countdown simulation. The countdown for this rehearsal began Sunday at minus-39 hours and 30 minutes, and is expected to conclude with a simulated launch window on Monday around 9:00 p.m. EST.
While the current launch window for Artemis II is set for February 8 to February 11, NASA has previously identified alternative launch windows in March and April should the rocket not be ready for its initial target next week.