NASA has reported that a technical malfunction in the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket has been fixed, forcing the Artemis II mission carrier to be removed from the launch pad. After the repair work is completed, the agency plans to launch on 1 April, Space reports.
In February, during a refuelling test, engineers loaded cryogenic fuel components into the rocket without any serious problems. This allowed them to overcome a hydrogen leak that had previously prevented the launch of the mission.
However, the next day, another malfunction occurred – the ground systems were unable to supply helium to the upper stage of the rocket. As the connections are located high up on the rocket, they can only be accessed from inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center.
On 25 February, the rocket was returned to the assembly complex for inspection. Engineers found that the seal in the quick disconnect system, which supplies helium from ground equipment to the rocket, had shifted and partially blocked the channel.
“The team removed the quick disconnect, reassembled the system, and began validating the repairs to the upper stage by running a reduced flow rate of helium through the mechanism to ensure the issue was resolved,” NASA said.
Engineers are also analysing why the seal has moved to avoid a recurrence of the problem.
The SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft are expected to return to the Launch Complex 39B launch pad in late March. Prior to that, technicians will replace the batteries of the rocket’s destruction system in case of a deviation from the trajectory, renew the batteries of the main and upper stages, and recharge the batteries of the Orion emergency rescue system. In addition, it is planned to replace the seal in the liquid oxygen supply line.
The first launch window will open on 1 April at 18:24 US Eastern Time. Additional possible dates are 3, 4, 5, 6 and 30 April.
Artemis II will be NASA’s first manned flight to the lunar surface since 1972. As part of the mission, the Orion spacecraft with four astronauts will fly around the back of the Moon and return to Earth. The Artemis programme envisages landing humans on the lunar surface no earlier than 2028.
Read also: NASA tests laser communication system in lunar orbit during Artemis II mission
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