Tom Whitmeyer

SLS at the launch pad in Florida. Photo: NASAWe’ve got some good news and some bad news. Space Force has granted NASA’s request for an extension to launch the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket—yay—but a tropical storm is brewing in the Atlantic, which could threaten its scheduled launch on Tuesday, September 27.NASA finally got the Space Force waiver it was seeking, as John Blevins, SLS chief engineer, told reporters earlier this afternoon. The space agency can now proceed with a launch on either September 27 or October 2.…

Engineers repairing the area where a liquid hydrogen leak was detected during the second attempted launch of SLS on September 3. This photo was taken on September 8 at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo: NASAA demonstration to confirm a repaired hydrogen leak appears to have gone well, with NASA declaring Wednesday’s cryogenic tanking test a success. Engineers still need to review the results, but the space agency could be on track to perform its third launch attempt of its SLS megarocket in just six days—a mission…

SLS at Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Photo: NASAAfter replacing faulty seals that resulted in the second scrubbed SLS launch attempt on September 3, NASA is ready to proceed with a full-scale cryogenic tanking test of its megarocket on Wednesday, which you can watch live right here. The tanking test starts bright and early on Wednesday, September 21, with the launch director expected to get the ball rolling at around 7:00 a.m. (all times Eastern). Should everything go smoothly, the test will conclude at…

SLS on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo: NASAOn Monday, NASA failed in its first attempt to launch the uncrewed Artemis 1 mission, with engineers struggling to resolve an engine cooling issue. It’s a wholly unsurprising result, given that NASA was unable to complete a single wet dress rehearsal, of which four were attempted earlier in the year. The space agency appears to be winging it, with the botched launch attempt effectively serving as the fifth wet dress rehearsal, in what is a troubling…

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…

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…