Washington Sep 3 : The US space agency on Saturday again removed the Artemis I Moon mission launch attempt after it experienced an hydrogen leak in the liquid phase as it loaded the propellant inside the central stage of the Space Launch System rocket.
Multiple attempts to fix the source of the leak, including resealing the seal in the quick disconnect area where liquid hydrogen is pumped into the rocket didn’t solve the problem.
Engineers were still attempting to collect additional data, according to NASA.
Artemis I is a flight test to test NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and an uncrewed Orion spacecraft around the Moon prior to the launch of the Artemis II mission with astronauts on board.
Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the very first person of color on the Moon opening the way for a permanent lunar presence and acting as a platform for sending astronauts to Mars.
The US space agency on August 30 scrubbed the launch of the mission for the first time due to a technical issue with one of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s engines.
Teams discovered an hydrogen leak from the component of the tail service mast’s umbilical quick disconnect also known as the purge can.They dealt with the leak manually adjusting the flow rates of propellant.
The Artemis I launch is part of the larger space program to return astronauts to the moon in the year 2025.The first round trip test mission is scheduled to be completed in around 42 days.
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