Washington 4th of September : The US space agency has decided to not attempt the launch of the Artemis I Moon mission in early September , as the teams were evaluating options following two failed launches.After putting a stop to Artemis I’s second attempt to launch on Saturday, when the engineers were unable to fix the hydrogen leak in an instant disconnect an interface between the liquid hydrogen fuel supply line and the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
Mission management met, and they decided that they would not launch any more in the first week of September.
“Over the next few days, the teams will gain access to the location of the leak on Launch Pad 39B, and in parallel, conduct a schedule review to provide additional information which will guide the decision to carry out work to replace an element of seal, either on the pad where it will be test under cryogenic conditions or within the Vehicle Assembly Building, the US space agency stated in an announcement.
To satisfy the requirements for the certification of the flight cancellation system which is currently scheduled for 25 days, NASA is required to move the spacecraft and rocket back to the building for vehicle assembly (VAB) prior to the next attempt to launch, to reset the batteries on the system.
The flight termination system is mandatory on all rockets to ensure the safety of the general public.
In the second attempt to launch engineers noticed the possibility of a leak in an area between the ground and the rocket side plates that surround an 8-inch line to drain and fill liquid hydrogen out of the SLS rocket.
Three attempts to reseal the seal failed NASA said.NASA.
“While the rocket was safe , it is to be determined if the change in pressurisation caused the reason of the leaky seal, scientists are currently examining the cause,” said the space agency.
Because of the complicated orbital mechanics involved in launch towards the Moon, NASA would have required to begin the launch of Artemis I by September 6 as part of the current launch schedule which is currently looking very difficult.
The US space agency on August 30, scrubbed the launch of the mission for the first time due to a technical glitch with one of the SLS rocket’s engines.
na/dpb
