NASA’s Moon rocket returns to workshop after test failure

NASA’s Space Launch System rocket will return to its assembly building for repairs next week, pushing back the unmanned test flight to the Moon until later this summer, officials said Monday.

Since April 1, NASA has been trying to perform a critical “wet dress rehearsal” test, which involves loading liquid propellant.

While the procedure is meant to simulate launch operations, it does not actually fire the engines.

But NASA teams have run into some technical issues.

In addition, the rocket was running low on nitrogen, which is used to purge oxygen from the rocket prior to tanking operations for safety reasons.

The rocket, which stands 322 feet (98 metres) tall with the Orion crew capsule atop it, will return to the vehicle assembly building on April 26 to be repaired.

“I think the early June window would be challenging,” said senior official Tom Whitmeyer when asked what this meant for the Artemis-1 test flight to the Moon and back.

NASA had planned a May test flight.

July and August are the next launch windows. These depend on the relative positions of the Earth and Moon, as well as how long the rocket must fly in an eclipse to keep powered and regulated by the Sun.

Deficiencies in Artemis-1 will impact Artemis-2, the first uncrewed test flight around the Moon, and Artemis-3, the first woman and first person of colour to reach the lunar south pole.

NASA wants to establish a permanent base on the Moon to test technologies for a 2030s Mars mission.

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