After two failed attempts in August and September, the Space Launch System (SLS) had been repatriated to its imposing assembly hangar. It comes out this November 4 for a new window of shooting towards the Moon… And this time NASA hopes that there will be no more technical problems!
Still, it’s a huge, very complex machine.
SLS, the return
The teams are now trained to enter and exit the giant SLS rocket from its assembly hangar within the VAB, the gigantic building of the Kennedy Space Center. Indeed, this is the fourth time this year that SLS has traveled the 6.7 km that separate it from its LC-39b launch site. The first two round trips were used for testing (including simulated countdowns) in the first half of the year, while NASA released the launcher “mission-ready” in mid-August.
Twice a few days apart, the American agency tried to get the Artemis-I mission off the ground, but several technical problems hampered the attempts (hydrogen leak, sensor problem on an engine) and stopped the account. countdown a few hours before firing. NASA was also preparing for a third test for its lunar mission when Hurricane Ian arrived and crossed Florida. Well sheltered in the VAB, SLS has undergone several inspections, a recharge of its batteries dedicated to the emergency ejection system of the capsule, and it is now ready for a new attempt.
Ten days that will pass quickly
Once arrived at the LC-39b site (it will reach it in the evening), the rocket and its Orion capsule will undergo ten days of preparations. First, the tracked vehicle that transported it, the Crawler Transporter, will be moved away to a safe distance, then the teams will test the electrical connections and the cryogenic fluids between the launch tower and the ground installations.
Finally, after verifying that communications between the control center and the launcher are good, the teams will meet to validate the first attempt, scheduled for November 14 at 6:07 a.m. (Paris). The countdown lasts almost 48 hours in all.
Big mission, big stakes
For reasons of orbital mechanics, the mission if it takes off well on November 14 will be particularly shorter than that which was planned last September, with all the same 25 days of mission around the Moon, and a return of the Orion capsule on December 9.
More than enough to test all the capabilities of Orion and its service module, which remains the primary objective of Artemis I. Two other firing windows are available for NASA on November 16 and 19, if ever the account countdown did not come to an end once again.
But the public’s impatience does not count: NASA has very little room for maneuver and cannot afford to miss this lunar mission without titanic consequences. It is therefore necessary to take the time to eliminate as many doubts as possible before take-off.
Source : Nasaspaceflight
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