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Preparations for the Artemis 2 mission have crossed another crucial milestone.
NASA has taken an important step towards a manned return to the moon. At the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the agency conducted a full-fledged dress rehearsal for the launch of the Artemis 2 mission with rocket refueling. Such checks are necessary in order to run through the entire chain of pre-flight procedures in conditions as close as possible to a real launch and make sure that the equipment, ground equipment and teams are ready for a manned flight.
The rehearsal took two days. The team consistently practiced pre-launch operations for the Space Launch System heavy rocket and the Orion spacecraft, including the most risky stages related to cryogenic fuel. The main intrigue was liquid hydrogen: the leakage of this component has repeatedly disrupted tests and previously interfered with preparation. This time, the problem was solved by replacing the seals, and they withstood the full refueling cycle.
The contrast is especially noticeable against the background of the attempt that failed on February 2. Then the rehearsal had to be interrupted due to the same hydrogen leak, which manifested itself in the connection node on the launch pad, where ground communications supply fuel and other resources to the rocket. In the current run, the tanks were kept under pressure and in stable condition during the most critical loading stages.
After it became clear that the repair was successful, NASA refueled the SLS with about 730,000 gallons of fuel, which is about 2.76 million liters. At the same time, the concentrations of hydrogen in the control area remained within the limits allowed by safety regulations. In parallel, the team performed other actions, without which the launch is not considered ready at all. Among other things, they closed the hatch of the Orion capsule and checked the crew's emergency rescue system, which should work if something goes wrong right at launch.
A separate part of the rehearsal is the so—called terminal countdown. It was conducted twice and each time the timer was adjusted to the last seconds before the start, but without actually starting the engines. At this point, control switches to automation: final checks of on-board computers, engine preparation systems, and ground equipment are underway, and the rocket itself switches to internal power. The point here is to see the logic of the interaction of all systems, when there is almost no time and the script must be worked out clearly in seconds.
The rehearsal was completed late on Thursday evening. There was a short pause during the final run due to a voltage problem in the accelerator electronics, but after stopping the script, it was possible to bring it to an end. This result leaves the mission on the work schedule: NASA is now focusing on the launch window, which may open as early as March 6. If additional configuration is required based on the results of the data analysis, there is a backup option in early April.
Artemis 2 will be the first manned flight beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo program. The flight plan is designed for about 10 days: four astronauts will fly around the moon and return to Earth. The crew includes three NASA representatives and one astronaut from the Canadian Space Agency.
This mission does not envisage landing on the moon. Instead, Orion will fly on a free return trajectory: the ship will circle the far side of the Moon and, due to its gravity, will set a course back to Earth, without having to turn on the engines to turn around. Such a profile is used as a more relaxed one in terms of risk for the early manned stages, it allows you to check the ship and the crew's work in deep space without the most difficult element of the program.
NASA conducted the previous stage, Artemis 1, at the end of 2022 without a crew. Back then, Orion had already flown to the Moon and returned back, and the current rehearsal with full refueling and working out the last minutes of the countdown is needed to move on to the next step and bring people to this route.
NASA has taken an important step towards a manned return to the moon. At the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the agency conducted a full-fledged dress rehearsal for the launch of the Artemis 2 mission with rocket refueling. Such checks are necessary in order to run through the entire chain of pre-flight procedures in conditions as close as possible to a real launch and make sure that the equipment, ground equipment and teams are ready for a manned flight.
The rehearsal took two days. The team consistently practiced pre-launch operations for the Space Launch System heavy rocket and the Orion spacecraft, including the most risky stages related to cryogenic fuel. The main intrigue was liquid hydrogen: the leakage of this component has repeatedly disrupted tests and previously interfered with preparation. This time, the problem was solved by replacing the seals, and they withstood the full refueling cycle.
The contrast is especially noticeable against the background of the attempt that failed on February 2. Then the rehearsal had to be interrupted due to the same hydrogen leak, which manifested itself in the connection node on the launch pad, where ground communications supply fuel and other resources to the rocket. In the current run, the tanks were kept under pressure and in stable condition during the most critical loading stages.
After it became clear that the repair was successful, NASA refueled the SLS with about 730,000 gallons of fuel, which is about 2.76 million liters. At the same time, the concentrations of hydrogen in the control area remained within the limits allowed by safety regulations. In parallel, the team performed other actions, without which the launch is not considered ready at all. Among other things, they closed the hatch of the Orion capsule and checked the crew's emergency rescue system, which should work if something goes wrong right at launch.
A separate part of the rehearsal is the so—called terminal countdown. It was conducted twice and each time the timer was adjusted to the last seconds before the start, but without actually starting the engines. At this point, control switches to automation: final checks of on-board computers, engine preparation systems, and ground equipment are underway, and the rocket itself switches to internal power. The point here is to see the logic of the interaction of all systems, when there is almost no time and the script must be worked out clearly in seconds.
The rehearsal was completed late on Thursday evening. There was a short pause during the final run due to a voltage problem in the accelerator electronics, but after stopping the script, it was possible to bring it to an end. This result leaves the mission on the work schedule: NASA is now focusing on the launch window, which may open as early as March 6. If additional configuration is required based on the results of the data analysis, there is a backup option in early April.
Artemis 2 will be the first manned flight beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo program. The flight plan is designed for about 10 days: four astronauts will fly around the moon and return to Earth. The crew includes three NASA representatives and one astronaut from the Canadian Space Agency.
This mission does not envisage landing on the moon. Instead, Orion will fly on a free return trajectory: the ship will circle the far side of the Moon and, due to its gravity, will set a course back to Earth, without having to turn on the engines to turn around. Such a profile is used as a more relaxed one in terms of risk for the early manned stages, it allows you to check the ship and the crew's work in deep space without the most difficult element of the program.
NASA conducted the previous stage, Artemis 1, at the end of 2022 without a crew. Back then, Orion had already flown to the Moon and returned back, and the current rehearsal with full refueling and working out the last minutes of the countdown is needed to move on to the next step and bring people to this route.
