NASA is ready to go for a second launch attempt. Orion will travel 1.3 million miles in 37 days after Artemis I lifts off as it heads to the moon, circles it, and then returns to Earth (2.1 million kilometers).
Why NASA is sending Artemis back to the moon 50 years later. Although there are no humans on the passenger list, Orion will also be carrying three mannequins and a plush Snoopy toy.
The crew of the Artemis I know I sound a bit odd, but they all have a reason. Snoopy will act as the zero gravity indicator, which means that once the capsule reaches space, it will start to float inside.
As it gets ready to fly again on a historic trip around the moon, the unmanned Artemis I spacecraft is having fueling problems.
Mission managers made the decision to proceed with propellant loading into the rocket shortly before 5 a.m. ET after receiving a weather briefing. The countdown clock resumed at 7:07 a.m. ET.
A liquid hydrogen leak in the fast disconnect cavity, which supplies the rocket with hydrogen in the engine area of the core stage, was discovered at 7:15 a.m. ET, there was a delay of at least 30 minutes. It wasn’t the same leak that appeared before Monday’s scrubbed launch.
To get a good seal and flow, the launch controllers warmed up the line.
Before a leak happened again, the launch controllers warmed up the line in an effort to create a tight seal, and the flow of liquid hydrogen resumed. In order to try to seal it again, they will stop the flow of liquid hydrogen, “shut the valve used to fill and drain it, then increase pressure on a ground transfer line using helium.”
On Saturday, the launch window is available from 2:17 p.m. ET until 4:17 p.m. ET. On its website and TV station, NASA began streaming live video at 5:45 a.m. ET. The crew is running behind schedule as a result of this process, but it’s unknown how much of a delay there will be in the countdown because they might be able to catch up later.
