Wayne Hale, a former program manager of NASA's space shuttle program, warned on social media that the day could be disappointing.
I don’t want to be a Debbie downer but I rate the chances of #Artemis1 launch on Monday at about 50/50 not counting weather. It’s the first launch of a new complex rocket and there are likely still bugs to be worked out. Sorry if that makes folks upset but best to be realistic
— Wayne Hale (@waynehale) August 28, 2022
Bill Harwood is a veteran space reporter at CBS News.
Their words over the last week have been prophetic. A hydrogen fuel line leak prevented NASA from launching the Artemis I mission's Space Launch System rocket on Saturday. It was time to scrub the flight after they tried several times to fix it.
Bill Nelson, the NASA administrator, said on NASA TV that this is part of the space program. It's time for the scrubs.
It's possible that NASA won't be able to do it again until sometime in October. During a news conference Saturday afternoon, officials said that they need to do a lot of work to understand and fix the problem before they can launch the rocket.
A lot of launches don't get off the ground on the second try. People like Wayne, Bill and me, who were working when the space shuttles were still flying, remember many delays, including recurring hydrogen leaks.
The mission that I would like to see take place in 2009. On June 13 of that year, the space shuttle was on the launch pad ready for another mission to the International Space Station.
The launch was scrubbed due to a hydrogen leak.
A rocket is powered by hydrogen. It is hard to work with as the smallest molecule. When the fuel lines are cold, hydrogen becomes liquid. There is no way to see if liquid hydrogen is flowing into the rocket.
After the first scrub of the mission, the launch was delayed for four days. The malfunctioning seal was replaced by technicians.
A blue-ribbon panel reviewing NASA's earlier incarnation of return-to-the-moon plans had a full day of hearings in Washington that day.
I picked up my rental car and drove to the Kennedy Space Center about an hour away after hopping on a plane from Newark, New Jersey. The fueling began.
There was a hydrogen leak. The launch was scrubbed again early in the morning. I flew to Washington and arrived at the hearing in time.
The shortest trip to Florida was 8 hours. I will spend at least as long in D.C.. The problem of being in two places in a single day is solved.
It was not until July 11 that the next attempt would be made.
The clock never started. There were two strong lightning bolts that hit the launchpad. Engineers needed a day to check that the electrical shock did not cause any damage. The skies were clear at launch.
The hydrogen did not leak and the launch was scrubbed again. There was lightning near the launchpad.
It was the same for the next day.
On July 15th, on the sixth attempt, the shuttle flew to the sky.
The Artemis I mission may not happen until the Labor Day weekend. It is possible for NASA to go for launch attempt number three on Monday or Tuesday.
Maybe people will have to come back weeks from now to see the rocket fly.
I will be present.
Christine Chung reported.
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