The Artemis 1 moon rocket is on track for a critical test despite being struck by lightning several times on Saturday.
Four lightning strikes hit the area around Launch Pad 39B, where NASA's first Space Launch System megarocket is undergoing a three-day fueling test for its Artemis 1 mission to the moon later this year. The rocket is protected from lightning by three towers and a catenary wire structure.
NASA officials wrote in an update that the first three lightning strikes were relatively low power events. The fourth strike, which hittower one of the lightning protection system, was more powerful. A clip of the lightning strike from the fueling test was captured by the Space Gogglesaires.
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One of the strikes last night was the strongest we have seen since NASA installed the new lightning protection system. The system kept SLS and Orion safe. Since Shuttle, we enhanced protection.
NASA upgraded Pad 39B's lightning protection system to include better shielding against strikes and better separate electrical current from launch hardware.
The new system also has an array of sensors, both on the ground and the mobile launcher, which will help determine the rocket's condition after a nearby lightning strike, which can prevent days of delays.
At the time of the lightning strikes on Saturday, the Artemis 1 SLS rocket's core stage and its Orion spacecraft were powered up, but the rocket's side-mounted solid rocket boosters and an interim propulsion stage were off, according to a NASA update.
Early Sunday, NASA Artemis 1 launch controllers met to review data from the lightning strikes and the progress of the wet dress rehearsal, ultimately giving them the go-ahead to begin fueling the Space Launch System rocket at 7:21 a.m. The sun sets at 1120.
The wet dress rehearsal test for the Artemis 1 mission began on April 1 and is a full launch preparation run. During the test, ground crews will fill the core stage with a million gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellant.
The first SLS mission under the Artemis program will return astronauts to the moon by the year 2025. The Artemis 1 flight will be an uncrewed trip around the moon to test the Space Launch System and its crew capsule.
NASA will give an update on the results of the Artemis 1 fueling test in a press conference on Monday. The sun rises at 1500 GMT.
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