(ORDO NEWS) — The second attempt to launch the Artemis 1 mission was canceled after engineers discovered leaks on the launch vehicle during its fueling.
NASA said the Artemis team has replaced seals on the main stage of the Space Launch System rocket associated with a liquid hydrogen leak.
“Both the 8-inch line used to fill and drain liquid hydrogen from the core and the 4-inch bleed line used to reroute fuel during refueling were removed and replaced,” NASA said in a blog post.
Now that the leaks have been fixed, NASA is planning a refueling operation to test the stability of the rocket.
Before preparing for the refueling demonstration as early as September 17th, technicians will reconnect the connection plates and conduct an inspection. A priming operation will be performed to test new seals under cryogenic or ultra-cold conditions.
On September 23, NASA is set to re-launch the Artemis 1 mission, which will send the Orion spacecraft almost 60,000 kilometers beyond the Moon and back. This will be the third attempt to launch the Massive rocket after two failed attempts.
However, if the launch is delayed again, the team will have another launch opportunity on September 27, but on one condition. The launch must take place within 70 minutes of the opening of the launch window. The launch window depends on the position of the Earth relative to the Moon.
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