artemis 1

SLS on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo: NASAThe fourth and most recent attempt at a full launch rehearsal of NASA’s Space Launch System went reasonably well, and despite some lingering issues and uncertainties, the agency is sending the rocket back to the hangar for final preparations in advance of its first flight. That inaugural launch will represent Artemis 1, the first mission in NASA’s Artemis lunar program. In a press release today, NASA—to my surprise—said it is done testing SLS after…

NASA’s Space Launch System on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo: NASANASA wrapped up its fourth wet dress rehearsal of the Space Launch System yesterday, during which time ground teams achieved a number of key test objectives. That said, an unresolved hydrogen leak prevented a full completion of the test, in a development that could further complicate the Artemis 1 mission schedule.Yesterday’s wet dress rehearsal ended at 7:37 p.m. ET, with ground teams successfully managing to fill both rocket…

The Orion capsule atop SLS, with the full Moon in the background. Photo: NASA KennedyNASA is under immense pressure to succeed this weekend during its fourth attempt at a launch rehearsal for its Space Launch System. Another failed test of the gigantic rocket would be an embarrassing—and worrying—setback for the Artemis Moon program, which aims to get off the ground this year.The towering Space Launch System (SLS), with the Orion capsule parked on top, arrived at Launch Complex 39B on June 6. NASA’s rocket had spent the…

NASA’s Space Launch System is once again standing proud on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The gigantic rocket is being prepared for its inaugural launch, but the space agency must first succeed at completing a full launch rehearsal, which it has thus fair failed to do. The Moon rocket rolled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building earlier today to make the four mile (6.4 kilometer) trek to launch pad 39B. SLS reached its destination some eight hours later, arriving at 8:20 a.m. ET, according to NASA. The…

NASA’s SLS rocket outside the Vehicle Assembly Building on March 17, 2022. Photo: NASA/Kim ShiflettA fourth attempt to complete a full-fledged launch rehearsal of NASA’s Space Launch System has been slated for June. NASA’s ground teams say they’ve resolved a batch of technical issues that prevented the practice session from happening in April. For this next test, they willfill the giant rocket with super-cooled propellant and rehearse a full countdown.Speaking to reporters today, Cliff Lanhman, senior vehicle operations…

NASA is planning to make another attempt at testing the Artemis 1 SLS rocket in early June for the last time before launching it into space. The space agency said it will bring the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft to the launchpad at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida in early June for the next wet dress rehearsal attempt. A wet dress rehearsal involves following all the launch-day procedures, including loading the propellant, without actually launching the mission. This activity is aimed at finding…

Artemis I, NASA's uncrewed mission that will set the stage for returning humans to the Moon after several decades, is unlikely to be launched before summer this year. The rundown to the actual launch of the ambitious mission has been changed several times so far as the team behind it was not ready with all the preparations. The final pre-launch test was initially scheduled for February 2022 but was then pushed back to March. NASA officials have now said that an April launch was no longer possible, and they were looking at…

NASA is offering space enthusiasts a chance to fly their names around the Moon. The US space agency has set up a website where you can add your name on a flash drive that will travel aboard Artemis I, an unmanned mission to orbit the Moon and test the Space Launch System (SLS). Artemis I paves the way for landing the first woman and the first person of colour on the Moon in the coming years. It will be the first of a series of complex missions aimed at establishing a long-term human presence on the Moon in the coming…

NASA's Artemis 1 Space Launch System (SLS) Moon mission test has been delayed several times. Now, the American space agency has announced that the final test will be modified and the launch will be delayed further to mid-April.  NASA had been conducting “wet dress rehearsals” on the next-generation space launch system throughout the last weekend. The latest setback is to do with the SLS's mobile launcher platform. NASA had plans to resume the test on April 9 but on Saturday, it announced that the test was being further…