NASA engineers checked the Space Launch System (SLS) with the Orion spacecraft on top at the Vehicle Assembly Building days after storm Ian passed. The American space agency is examining its moon mission and preparing for its third launch attempt at Florida's Kennedy Space Center.
Hurricane Ian, which plowed across Florida after pummeling Cuba, interfered with the third attempt to launch the rocket on a trip to the moon. Due to several leaks and engine problems discovered throughout the process, engineers attempted to launch the rocket on the lunar mission twice but were unsuccessful in both attempts.
Artemis 1, an uncrewed test flight, will feature the first blastoff of the massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which will be the most powerful in the world when it goes into operation. It will propel the Orion crew capsule into orbit around the Moon. The spacecraft will remain in space for 42 days before returning to Earth.
NASA Starts Inspecting Artemis 1's Space Launch System Rocket
Engineers from NASA have started the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket's inspection and maintenance so that the organization may choose a date for the launch of Artemis 1 November, Republic World said.
Last month, the SLS rocket was returned to the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building after NASA opted against the launch opportunities in October due to Hurricane Ian.
"Exterior inspections will note any foam or cork from the thermal protection system on the rocket or spacecraft that might need to be repaired," said NASA on its website.
We're continuing work on our #Artemis I vehicle to prepare for our next launch attempt. Teams extended the work platforms in the Vehicle Assembly Building to perform inspections and maintenance, as well as refresh payloads and experiments on board. Latest: https://t.co/S59GJ7svH9 pic.twitter.com/XZGUTV7KXD
— Jim Free (@JimFree) October 6, 2022
ALSO READ: NASA Scrubs Artemis 1 Space Launch System Rocket Launch Yet Again Due to Hurricane Ian
"Teams will replace the flight batteries for the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and the boosters, as well as the batteries for the flight termination system in the boosters and core stage," added the space agency.
The ten CubeSats that are outfitted with the Orion Stage Adapter and will be launched into orbit for diverse scientific investigations during Artemis 1 will also be recharged by the teams during the inspections. In order to refuel the cargo, they will also make sure to replenish the batteries connected to the crew seat accelerometers and space radiation studies.
Managers coordinate with the U.S. Space Force to reserve launch dates on the Eastern Range while teams inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) finish check-outs. They also work with other agency divisions to assess potential constraints before NASA sets a target date for the following launch.
NASA SLS Rocket vs. Elon Musk SpaceX Starship
Within the next several decades, people will be launched into space, to the lunar surface and orbit, and maybe even to Mars, thanks to NASA's massive Space Launch System (SLS) and Elon Musk's eagerly awaited Starship.
What precisely will they be utilized for, and how do they differ? According to MailOnline, they need both and an explanation of how they compare.
Thrust, Weight, Height
Musk's vehicle generates 16 million pounds (70 Meganewtons) of thrust, whereas the SLS can create 8.8 million pounds (39.1 Meganewtons).
Block 1 of the SLS measures 322ft (98m).
Starship is 394ft (120m) tall with a 164ft (49m) ship and 230ft (70m) booster (70m).
No surprise, but SpaceX's Super Heavy rocket and the accompanying Starship spaceship are the heaviest of the two launch vehicles.
When fuelled, it weighs 11 million pounds compared to 5.5 million pounds for the SLS.
How SLS Works vs. Starship
NASA's next mega rocket will have a core stage, two solid rocket boosters, and an Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage.
Shuttle-derived solid rocket boosters produce 75% of the SLS's thrust in the first two minutes of flight.
Its core stage holds 730,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and oxygen to fuel the RS-25 engines.
Starship will be SpaceX's first entirely reusable rocket, unlike the SLS. Falcon 9 and Heavy had disposable second stages.
Musk's spacecraft might be 200 times cheaper per launch than conventional rockets.
The Starship will re-enter Earth's atmosphere at a 60-degree angle before landing horizontally.
This unstable return uses Earth's atmosphere to delay the vehicle's descent.
Starship will utilize four steel landing flaps to regulate its descent, similar to how a skydiver uses its arms and legs to control a free-fall.
Starship flips back into a vertical position and utilizes its Raptor engines as retro-rockets to land safely.
Musk said in November 2019 that recycling a rocket may reduce Starship launch costs to $2 million.
SLS launches cost $4.1 billion.
Cost, Length of Time to Build
SLS is part of NASA's Artemis program. However, its design was released in 2011. Formal development began in 2008.
Since then, delays have been caused by complications with the SLS and the Artemis program's spacesuits and lander technologies.
To decrease cost and development time, NASA is updating proven gear from the space shuttle and other exploration missions.
Some rocket sections are new, while others have been updated for deep-space missions.
Artemis may have cost $23 billion overall.
Musk's Starship rocket has evolved from the 2009-retired Falcon 1 to the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Super Heavy.
Regarding development and expense, comparing the SLS to Starship is tough.
SpaceX Starship alone cost $216 million.
RELATED ARTICLE: NASA Pushes Through With Its Artemis I Launch Next Week; Agency Says It's Not Risking Its $4.1-Billion Rocket to the Moon
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