CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – During a critical evaluation of its next-generation lunar vehicle on Monday, NASA encountered frustrating propellant seepage issues. These complications cast doubt on the imminent commencement of crewed expeditions for a circumnavigation of the Moon.
The occurrence of these leaks, which mirrored difficulties encountered during the rocket’s delayed initial launch three years prior, became apparent only a few hours into a refueling sequence scheduled to span an entire day at the Kennedy Space Center.
Personnel managing the launch operations commenced the process of filling the 322-foot (98-meter) launch vehicle with cryogenically cooled hydrogen and oxygen around midday. Over 700,000 gallons (2.6 million liters) were designated to be injected into the storage containers and maintained there for a duration of several hours, simulating the concluding phases of an actual launch sequence.
However, an excessive accumulation of hydrogen rapidly materialized near the base of the rocket. The introduction of hydrogen was suspended on at least two occasions as the launch team made concerted efforts to circumvent the obstacle by employing methodologies refined during the preceding Space Launch System countdown in 2022.
That initial test flight encountered persistent hydrogen leakage issues before its successful ascent without a crew aboard.
The quartet of astronauts designated for this mission—comprising three United States nationals and one Canadian—observed the vital practice exercise from a distance of approximately 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) away in Houston, the location of the Johnson Space Center.
These individuals have been in isolation for the preceding week and a half, awaiting the results of the simulated countdown.
Monday’s fuel loading demonstration is instrumental in determining the prospective launch date for the inaugural crewed lunar endeavor in over fifty years.
In the most optimistic scenario, NASA might initiate the voyage for commander Reid Wiseman and his crew to the Moon as early as Sunday. The launch window for the rocket is constrained to February 11th; failing this, the mission will be postponed until March.
The aerospace agency possesses a limited number of days each month suitable for launching the vehicle, and the current severe cold has already curtailed February’s launch period by two days.
Progressing behind schedule due to the intense cold snap, the countdown procedures were initiated on Saturday evening, affording launch controllers the opportunity to execute all necessary steps and address any outstanding rocket concerns. The countdown sequence was programmed to cease approximately thirty seconds prior to reaching zero, just before engine ignition.
This mission, expected to last nearly ten days, will transport the astronauts beyond the Moon, across its enigmatic far side, and then directly back to Earth. The primary objective is to rigorously evaluate the capsule’s life support systems and other critical functionalities. The crew will not enter lunar orbit nor attempt a landing.
NASA’s last crewed expeditions to the Moon occurred during the Apollo program of the 1960s and 1970s. The contemporary Artemis initiative aims to establish a more enduring presence on the lunar surface, with Commander Wiseman’s crew paving the way for subsequent lunar landings by other astronauts.
