A number of issues over the last couple of weeks have derailed plans for a wet dress rehearsal for the next-generation lunar rocket.
The space agency wants to make some repairs as well as assess the current situation and will therefore roll the powerful SLS moon rocket and Orion spacecraft from the launchpad back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Four weeks ago, NASA's new SLS moon rocket arrived at the launchpad for the first time ahead of a test involving filling the rocket with fuel and a mock launch.
The first attempt at the rehearsal took place at the beginning of the month but was called off due to a fan issue.
On April 4, a second attempt was halted when engineers spotted a stuck valve on ground equipment.
The third attempt last week focused on fueling the core-stage tanks instead of trying to fill the upper stage. The team stood down after engineers identified a liquid hydrogen leak.
It was thought that the test could resume in the coming days, but on Sunday NASA said it was returning the rocket to the assembly building to make some fixes before trying again. Work being carried out by an off-site supplier has been linked to the pause in proceedings.
Due to an off-site supplier of gaseous nitrogen required for the test, NASA will take advantage of the opportunity to roll SLS and Orion back to the Vehicle Assembly Building to replace a faulty upper stage check valve and a small leak on the tail service mast.
The teleconference will be held at 3 p.m. The status of the wet dress rehearsal will be discussed on Monday.
The failure to perform a successful wet dress rehearsal is a blow to NASA, though at the same time such tests are designed to surface issues, allowing engineers to get everything right for launch day.
The last big test before the uncrewed Artemis I mission, which will use the SLS rocket to power the Orion spacecraft on a fly-around of the moon, is the rehearsal. The launch is scheduled for May, but the recent issues are likely to cause that target date to slip.
Artemis II will carry a crew on board after a successful Artemis I flight. The first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface will be achieved in the Artemis III mission, which is set for no later than 2024.
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