NASA's wet dress rehearsal will resume this week, and it will be a modified version of the company's testing process for the Space Launch System rocket mission. The Artemis I Moon mission is a massive undertaking for the corporation. Hence, the space agency is putting a lot of work into it, even early.
In this handout provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop a mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B, Friday, March 18, 2022, after being rolled out to the launch pad for the first time at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ahead of NASA's Artemis I flight test, the fully stacked and integrated SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft will undergo a wet dress rehearsal at Launch Complex 39B to verify systems and practice countdown procedures for the first launch.
NASA Wet Dress Rehearsal: Artemis I Mission Resuming This Week
NASA has revealed that it will undertake another wet dress rehearsal for the SLS rocket and the Artemis I Moon mission's interpretation of what will happen in the future. The new wet dress rehearsal will feature a modified version of the rocket's testing process, focusing on the core stage's tanking, making the entire operation visible to the public.
In this rehearsal, the space agency is also concentrating on minimal propellant operations with the intermediate cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS). NASA's efforts are focused on ensuring that all systems are ready and tweaking and changing many elements that may impact future missions.
NASA Artemis I Moon Mission: Significant Focus on Rehearsal
This week, NASA's SLS will return to Launch Complex 39B with Orion. In a tweet, the space agency said the mega moon rocket would be there from Tuesday, April 12, to Thursday, April 14. This will be an opportunity to "fine-tune the countdown procedures" and check important models, according to NASA, which will also look into software interfaces.
#Artemis I Moon mission update: @NASAKennedy will conduct a modified “wet dress rehearsal” in preparation for launch with tanking operations no earlier than April 14. @NASA_SLS and @NASA_Orion will then return to the Vehicle Assembly Building: https://t.co/htuT1epd40 pic.twitter.com/LzCGeycESy
— NASA (@NASA) April 9, 2022
NASA engineers will also conduct tests vital to the launch's success.
NASA's Artemis and SLS Missions
The Artemis I Moon mission marks the first time that the space agency and people will return to the lunar surface after a long period of time since their last visit to the neighboring space rock. Many companies are working on the Artemis Lunar mission, including NASA's acquisition of a second business that will build the project's moon lander.
The initial configuration of the SLS rocket, called Block 1, will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust during launch and ascent with the power of four RS-25 engines and two solid rocket motors, or boosters.
— NASA_SLS (@NASA_SLS) February 6, 2022
Learn more about these engines and motors HERE: https://t.co/KnEh2tWTHg pic.twitter.com/IS3fdUry1L
The SLS has already been tested several times, and the business has already sent several of its rockets to work as a consequence of the agency's testing phase. Block 1 is a big undertaking for NASA, and it assures that the spacecraft will have the first stage of rocket fuel when it is time for the actual voyage to the Moon.
NASA's wet dress rehearsal, with its numerous delays and resumes, might be a lot for the public at this time, and the agency's testing procedure for the SLS rocket may be a much for the people. It is, however, a critical stage for the space agency, and the Artemis I is a project that the agency is developing in order to make history for humanity's return to the moon rock.
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