The US space agency (NASA) acknowledged the launch of the new moon rocket SLS on Friday if it could resolve the technical issues that led to its cancellation by Thursday on the launch pad.
Mission Director Mike Sarafin said at a press conference that the launch would be possible on Friday — the second date previously approved by NASA if the liftoff was canceled today — as long as technical issues on the launch pad were resolved. Within the next 48 to 72 hours.
Justifying the cancellation of the SLS test flight, without a crew that has the Orion spacecraft, which will orbit the moon, docked at the top, NASA said, in a statement, that one of the four engines of the device’s central module did not reach the temperature suitable for takeoff.
Mike Sarafin said the technical team will meet on Tuesday and analyze the data to understand what went wrong, make corrections and “identify what’s best”.
‘takes more time’However, Sarfin said in remarks to reporters broadcast by NASA TV, he ruled out the scenario of replacing the engine.
“We are doing what hasn’t been done in 50 years, with new technology and new teams”He stressed that the new missile poses “enormous technical challenges.”
The United States wants to go on the moon in 2025
If it materializes, the launch of the SLS, which has been successively postponed over the years, would mark the beginning of the Artemis lunar program, with which the United States intends to return to the lunar surface in 2025, one year later than expected. Earth is the first female astronaut and the first black female astronaut.
Before that, NASA wants to return astronauts to lunar orbit in 2024.
SLS, NASA’s most powerful rocket
The SLS is NASA’s most powerful rocket since Saturn V, which took American astronauts to the Moon between 1969 and 1972. In addition to Friday, September 2, NASA has a third possible launch date, next Monday, September 5.
Since August 17, the rocket has been on the launch pad at NASA’s space base in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The trip from the barn to the pier – a six-kilometre journey – took about 10 hours.
This was the third flight of the 98-meter rocket to the launch pad. A countdown test in April was marred by a fuel leak that was repeated today and other problems that forced NASA to return the rocket to the hangar for repair.
The test was re-tested in June on the podium with the best results.
Justifying the various launch attempts, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said at the press conference that spaceflight is “risky” and that it should be tested “to make it as safe as possible.”
Praising the technicians’ work, Bill Nelson noted that many issues have been resolved today, but there is “a problem that needs more time to resolve.”
With the Artemis lunar program, NASA hopes to “create sustainable missions” to the moon from 2028 onwards with the goal of sending astronauts to Mars in the 2030s.
Departures for these lunar missions or to Mars will be from a space station that will be installed in lunar orbit, the Gateway.
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