The final ground test of the SLS rocket may have been the last one before the moon mission.
There was a failed attempt at the wet dress rehearsal in April, when a number of issues caused the test to be canceled.
The test was held at Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. There is an hour and a half later.
It was the first time in the history of the SLS rocket that the propellant tanks were fully loaded with fuel. When a lot of activities take place in a short period of time, a mock rocket launch is necessary.
Today's #Artemis I wet dress rehearsal activities concluded after a modified countdown configuration and successfully adding propellant to the rocket. We will review the data and are meeting to discuss next steps. For updates: https://t.co/rZxnWJ0Kbi pic.twitter.com/dKtFZeVWDF
— NASA (@NASA) June 21, 2022
Information on how it went is hard to come by. NASA is analyzing the data gathered during the test to see if it can launch the rocket and capsule toward the moon in late August or if more work needs to be done on the vehicle.
The initial NASA report suggested that the test went well, though it wasn't all smooth sailing.
The agency said that during propellant loading operations early on Monday, engineers spotted a hydrogen leak in a component that is attached to the SLS rocket's core stage. It is not clear if the hydrogen leak in April is related to the other issue.
NASA tried to repair Monday's leak with a warming and chilling process, but it didn't work. Engineers were determined to go ahead with the test and found a way to hide the leak related data.
The engineers were able to restart the team with the last 10 minutes of the clock. During the terminal count, the teams performed several critical operations that need to be accomplished for launch, including switch control from the ground launch sequence to the automated launch sequence, which is an important step that the team wanted to accomplish.
The test went better than expected, but NASA will have to address the valve problem, among other issues that may have arisen during Monday's procedure.
At 11 a.m., NASA will give a full account of the test. On June 21. The broadcast can be watched on the video player below.
The Artemis I mission will be powered by the SLS rocket and could be launched in late August. Artemis II will send a crew on the same flight path as Artemis III, which will send the first woman and first person of color to the moon.
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