NASA is preparing to refuel the Artemis II mission rocket in a new "rehearsal" on Thursday, February 19, ahead of its historic launch to the Moon.
See also: Hydrogen leak delays Artemis II launch again
This test will be the service's second attempt to successfully complete a full refueling of the Space Launch System (SLS), following hydrogen leak problems that plagued the first attempt earlier this month.
The first general test, which took place on the evening of February 2, was aborted about five minutes before the end of the countdown, while refueling was complete and the process was approaching a simulated launch. The automated ground launch control system stopped the countdown due to an increased rate of liquid hydrogen leakage. NASA traced the problem to two seals around the fuel supply lines, which were subsequently replaced.
See also: Low temperatures in Florida delay Artemis II launch
But the issues continued, with a “reliability test” on Feb. 12 ending early due to a new problem that restricted fuel flow to the rocket. In a statement , the agency said its engineers replaced a filter suspected of disrupting hydrogen flow.
The Artemis II mission is scheduled to carry four astronauts on a 10-day trip around the Moon. It will be the first time in more than 50 years that NASA has sent humans back to lunar orbit, and the first time a woman and an African-American astronaut will be part of a lunar mission crew. If successful, NASA will have tested critical systems and collected valuable data ahead of the Artemis III mission, which aims to land astronauts on the Moon in 2028.
See also: NASA Artemis 2: Astronauts quarantined shortly before launch
Through the Artemis Program, NASA seeks to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon, with the ultimate goal of using the lunar surface as a staging post for future missions to Mars. However, spaceflight is a highly demanding and sensitive process, something that has been repeatedly confirmed within the framework of the Artemis program.
