NASA on Saturday abandoned a second attempt to launch its brand-new 30-story rocket and send its unmanned test capsule toward the Moon after detecting a fuel leak.
As ultra-cold liquid hydrogen was being injected into the enormous Space Launch System (SLS), a leak at the rocket’s base was discovered as millions throughout the world and hundreds of thousands on surrounding beaches awaited the historic launch.
According to a statement from NASA, “the launch director waved off today’s Artemis I launch.” “Numerous troubleshooting attempts to deal with the leak’s location failed to resolve the problem.”
Despite the launch site’s surrounding region being off-limits to the general public, an estimated 400,000 people congregated there to witness and hear the most potent rocket that NASA has ever launched make its ascent into space.
Engineers discovered a fuel leak and a sensor indicated that one of the rocket’s four main engines was running too hot, which forced them to abort Monday’s original launch attempt as well.
Launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson had authorized the beginning of the cryogenic fuel filling of the rocket’s tanks early on Saturday. The spaceship was supposed to receive about three million liters of extremely cold liquid hydrogen and oxygen, but the process quickly ran into difficulties. No new time for a second attempt was right away announced.
There are backup opportunities on Monday or Tuesday following the most recent postponement. The Moon’s position will prevent the following launch window from opening until Sept. 19 after that.
During the Artemis 1 mission, the Orion capsule, which is linked to the SLS rocket, would be tested to make sure it can transport passengers safely in the future. In place of the astronauts on the flight, mannequins with sensors will measure radiation, vibration, and acceleration.
