“All proposed goals have been met,” said Charlie Blackwell Thompson, launch manager for the Artemis 1 mission, which will be the first in the program to return Americans to the Moon.
In early September, the take-off of the SLS rocket, the most powerful rocket ever built, was called off at the last minute due to a leak observed in the drain of cryogenic fuel tanks.
Liquid hydrogen, which forms this type of fuel with oxygen, is highly flammable, so these leaks should be avoided at all costs.
Since then, NASA has made repairs and Wednesday’s test included refilling the fuel tanks.
During operations, a small hydrogen leak again occurred, but it was controlled by agency teams.
Last week, NASA said it was targeting its next launch attempt on September 27, in less than a week, but it also indicated an alternate date, October 2.
“Teams evaluated the test data, as well as weather conditions and other factors, before confirming that everything was ready for the next launch opportunity,” NASA said.
To meet the next deadline, the agency also needs to obtain an exemption from the US Space Force for the battery life of the missile’s emergency self-destruct system, which is designed to explode if the trajectory deviates after launch.
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