NASA and Boeing engineers are evaluating how to proceed with the final test of the Space Launch System (SLS) moon-bound megarocket after an early shutdown during a “wet dress rehearsal” on Sunday (December 20).
At stake is the launch date of Artemis 1, the first unmanned flight of the NASA program to land humans on the moon by 2024. This orbiting mission would start in late 2021, but that’s largely depends on the timely and successful testing of the SLS before the missile travels to Florida for final construction and launch.
The test campaign has been delayed by precautions to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and a series of hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. Earlier this month, the team managed to pass problems with ground equipment when loading the propellant, making the missile tanks fully equipped with 700,000 gallons (2.6 million liters) of liquid oxygen and hydrogen. While the core phase “performed well” with propellant loading and replenishment at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, the test ended unexpectedly early, according to a statement from NASA.
Photos: NASA’s first SLS megarocket core stage for the moon has its engines
“Part of the test was to simulate the countdown with tanks loaded, leading to 33 seconds for the engines to fire,” NASA officials wrote. in a blog post published on Monday (21st of December).
However, the test ended a few minutes shorter than the scheduled countdown time. The core stage and B-2 test bench are in excellent condition and there does not appear to be a problem with the hardware. The team is evaluating data to determine the exact cause of the early shutdown fixed. “
After NASA completes this dress rehearsal, the SLS will undergo a “hot fire” test, firing all four of the rocket’s engines simultaneously to ensure they are ready for space flight. The agency has not outlined alternatives for this this test plan just in case more work is needed to prepare SLS for flight.
NASA’s challenges in their quest to get people on the moon by 2024 aren’t just related to SLS. The agency is also facing funding issues for its Human Landing Systems (HLS) program in its $ 23.3 billion fiscal 2021 budget. HLS received only $ 850 million, a quarter of the government’s $ 3.3 billion request; That said, the Orion spacecraft, SLS, and ground reconnaissance systems were at or above the budget requested by NASA for those elements.
Agency administrator Jim Bridenstine told the National Space Council on Dec. 9 that NASA would likely need its full HLS budget application to meet the moon landing deadline on time. “If we don’t get the $ 3.3 billion, it will eventually get harder,” he said.
A timely lunar landing will also depend on whether NASA has completed all technology testing for associated lunar systems, such as new space suits to protect astronauts on the lunar surface. Earlier this month, the agency shortlisted 18 astronauts for lunar missions; in addition, the Canadian Space Agency promised that one of its four astronauts would participate in the preliminary Artemis 2 manned lunar orbit mission scheduled for 2023.
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