After a long journey from the launch pad, NASA's giant Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Artemis I mission returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at Kennedy Space Center.
The 5.75 million-pound, 322-foot-tall Space Launch System, Orion capsule, and mobile launcher left Launch Complex 39-B before sundown Monday, rolling at a top speed of 0.8 mph on the 4.4-mile journey.
The rocket arrived at the VAB at 6 a.m. Tuesday morning, roughly 10 hours later, according to NASA.
NASA Rolls Out Giant SLS Rocket For Artemis I Ahead for Further Repairs
NASA teams will concentrate on fixing a malfunctioning upper stage check valve and a tiny leak within the tail service mast umbilical ground plate housing over the following few weeks.
According to UPI, engineers will also do extra checks before bringing the rocket to the launch site for the next wet dress rehearsal.
After the SLS failed to complete crucial pre-launch testing earlier in April, the space agency's new moon rocket has already been delayed by over a month.
The rocket was supposed to launch between June 6 and 16. However, according to NASA officials, launching during that window would be difficult due to difficulties that prevented crews from concluding system tests during the SLS's wet dress rehearsal.
The @NASA_SLS rocket and @NASA_Orion spacecraft have reached their destination inside High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building.
— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) April 26, 2022
MORE: https://t.co/0cCfT2k4PT pic.twitter.com/0UZt3E78JB
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Engineers are now hoping to finalize repairs and testing on the SLS moon rocket in time for the Artemis 1 mission to launch no later than August.
About NASA Artemis Moon Program
NASA's Artemis Moon program, which intends to return astronauts to the lunar surface during its third mission in 2025, is powered by the SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft it launches. A crewed lunar flyby, Artemis-II, is planned for 2024.
However, before humans board the SLS, The Independent said NASA must launch the Artemis I mission, an uncrewed voyage that will send the Orion spacecraft beyond the Moon and back.
According to Space.com, the SLS started its journey from the VAB to Pad 39B on March 17 and arrived roughly 12 hours later, early on March 18.
NASA had aimed to finish a simulated countdown by April 3 after starting the wet dress rehearsal on April 1.
A wet dress rehearsal is a countdown demonstration test with the integrated Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket filled with fuel.
The rocket had been on the launchpad for a wet dress rehearsal since mid-March, according to The Orlando Sentinel. However, NASA had to cancel three test attempts due to a series of pressure and valve concerns related to the mobile launcher.
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