(Update: The wet dress rehearsal ended with over five minutes to go after a hydrogen leak in the rocket’s core stage was uncovered. Launch of the Artemis II mission is now no earlier than March.)
As extreme cold moves across Florida, teams at Kennedy Space Center are locked into the last major test of NASA’s giant SLS moon rocket — as the agency prepares for what could be the launch of the Artemis II mission in the next week.
The test is referred to as wet dress rehearsal. Teams reported to their stations Saturday night and have begun going through operations leading up to a simulated launch day, which would lead up to a liftoff rehearsal time of approximately 9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 2.
This includes fueling up the rocket’s core stage with super cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen and letting the countdown run until T-33 seconds.
The test has not been without issue, as temperatures plummeted into the 20s before dawn on Sunday, causing NASA to delay 24 hours. But NASA announced just before 11:30 a.m. Monday that teams polled “go” for fueling.
“At approximately 11:25 a.m. EST, the Artemis launch director, in coordination with the mission management team chair, gave the “go” to begin loading cryogenic liquid propellant into the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for wet dress rehearsal. While teams continue to monitor cold weather that would impact launch day, they are not tracking weather constraints to Monday’s tanking operations,” an official NASA blog statement read.
The Feb. 2 testing has not come without issue, as mid-afternoon NASA announced troubleshooting seen during the fill of liquid hydrogen into the core stage of the rocket.
After announcing Monday afternoon that the Artemis II astronauts will arrive at Kennedy Space Center the afternoon of Feb. 3, the wet dress rehearsal was halted with five minutes and 15 seconds to go after teams discovered a hydrogen leak in the rocket’s core stage returned.
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman updated that the Artemis II launch is now no earlier than March 6.
What is next for Artemis II wet dress rehearsal?
As of Monday morning, all non-essential personnel left the launch pad, Launch Complex 39B, in preparation for fueling. Around 11 a.m. Feb. 2, launch teams assessed dated from the Space Force 45th Weather Squadron and ultimately polled “go” for the Monday night attempt.
On the morning of Sunday, Feb. 1, the rocket’s core stage was powered on and all systems were monitored throughout the frigid weekend temperatures.
NASA said the Orion spacecraft also remained powered on throughout the weekend due to cold temperatures. Engineers are slated to change out Orion’s flight batteries and begin charging the rocket’s core stage battery.
At approximately 12:35 p.m., fueling will begin ahead of the simulated 9 p.m. liftoff time, topping off the liquid propellants as needed. It will be during this time teams perform leaks checks on the rocket.
A final go/no go of the rocket will be assessed approximately 16 minutes prior to the planned test launch time. All said, the test is expected to last until 1 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3.
If all checks out, NASA could announce an official launch date within the coming days.
The rocket is set to launch four astronauts on a mission around the moon, taking the Orion spacecraft on a crewed test flight. When the mission takes off, it will be the first time humans has flown within the vicinity of the moon since 1972. That’s when the last Apollo mission left.
Artemis II will be the forerunner to the long-awaited Artemis III lunar landing.
What are Artemis weather rules
NASA’s Artemis II launch weather criteria states the following:
“Do not launch if the temperature at both 132.5 feet and 257.5 feet drops below a defined temperature constraint for 30 consecutive minutes. The temperature constraints range from 38 degrees Fahrenheit to 49 degrees Fahrenheit, depending upon the wind and relative humidity. Higher wind and relative humidity result in a colder temperature constraint.”
How to watch the Artemis II rocket?
Those who want to follow along can watch the official NASA live steam of Pad 39B here:
Artemis II launch dates
The crew began quarantine on January 23 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to prepare for launch. On the afternoon of Feb. 3, they’ll head to Florida to prepare for this historic liftoff.
Currently, the launch of Artemis II is now no earlier than March 6.
The potential Artemis II launch dates are now as follows:
Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: As cold grips Florida, NASA’s Artemis II rocket moves toward final test
Reporting by Brooke Edwards, Florida Today / Florida Today
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