The first moonbound mission for the Artemis program is in final testing.
There were no major issues reported when the team executed its second launch test on Monday.
NASA said in a post that the test demonstrated the ground launch software and ground launch sequencer, which checks the health and status of the rocket sitting on the pad.
NASA's Artemis moon landing works.
The responses from the two systems were tested in a simulation, according to NASA. On launch day, the ground launch sequencer hands off to the rocket and spacecraft, and an automated launch sequencer takes over control of the rocket from ground controllers around 30 seconds before launch.
Artemis 1 wants to send an uncrewed spaceship around the moon using SLS and the once-flown Orion. NASA plans a crewed, moon-orbiting Artemis 2 mission in 2024, followed by a landing with astronauts for the Artemis 3 mission in 2025, and other crewed missions later in the 2020s.
There is still more work to be done before Artemis 1 enters a wet dress rehearsal in February, which will load SLS with propellant and have the ground teams run through all prelaunch operations to ensure the system is ready to go.
The team will finish the final engineering tests for the Artemis I mission next month.
The Vehicle Assembly Building is located in Florida. This is the same structure that was used to test Apollo V rockets in the 1960s and 1970s.
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