This is the latest in a series of rocket-propelled grenades to fail, including delays due to weather conditions, ventilation fan malfunctions and valve problems. “All the issues we are facing are procedural and lessons learned,” Mike Sarafin, director of the Artemis mission, told a news conference Friday. A wet dress rehearsal is when the 322-foot rocket fills with fuel as it sits on top of a launch pad and the team runs through a virtual countdown to prepare for launch day. The rehearsal is crucial to the launch of Artemis I, an unmanned mission to the Moon and back, and the first step in returning humans to the Moon by 2026. This wet dress rehearsal was originally scheduled for April 1, but was initially delayed due to technical problems that prevented the crew from loading the rocket with fuel. Before the next test date on April 11, the team discovered a faulty valve, which led them to modify the rehearsal and plan to supply only the basic SLS stage and not the upper stage. G / O Media may receive a commission 14% discount. Logitech C920 Webcam Looks good HD 1080p video capability at 30 fps, has dual microphones that help you get your voice right and has special software for easy customization. Thursday’s third attempt was unfortunately not charming, as the team discovered a leak of liquid hydrogen from the umbilical cord service tissue, which connects the base of the mobile launcher to the core stage. Liquid hydrogen is one of the two propellants used for the rocket, while the other is liquid oxygen. By the time the wet dress rehearsal closed, about 49% of the tank had been filled with liquid oxygen and only 5% of the other tank had been filled with liquid hydrogen. The team successfully cooled down the lines used to load the propeller into the upper tier, but was unable to channel any propellers into the tent due to a problem with a valve. However, the team behind the SLS rocket says it is not giving up. “There is no doubt in my mind that we will complete this pilot campaign and look at the material and the data will take us to the next steps,” Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis’s launch manager, said during the conference call. “We will launch this vehicle… and we will be ready to fly.”
