NASA replacing seal on Artemis rocket interface
The rocket's second launch attempt was scrubbed after a hydrogen leak
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NASA said its Artemis team had decided to replace the seal on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket's quick disconnect interface.
The seal is between the liquid hydrogen fuel feed line on the mobile launcher and the rocket.
"Performing the work at the pad requires technicians to set up an enclosure around the work area to protect the hardware from the weather and other environmental conditions, but enables engineers to test the repair under cryogenic or supercold conditions. Performing the work at the pad also allows teams to gather as much data as possible to understand the cause of the issue," the agency added.
Furthermore, NASA said Artemis teams may return the 322-foot SLS from the launch pad to the Vehicle Assembly Building to perform additional work that does not require use of the cryogenic facilities that are only available at the pad.
ARTEMIS LAUNCH SCRUBBED AGAIN AFTER ANOTHER LEAK ISSUE
NASA's Artemis I rocket sits on launch pad 39-B after the launch was scrubbed at Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 6, 2022, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)
NASA would need to roll the rocket and Orion spacecraft back to the Vehicle Assembly Building before the next launch attempt to reset the system’s batteries in order to meet the current requirement by the Eastern Range for the certification on the flight termination system.
Lastly, teams will also check plate coverings on other umbilical interfaces to ensure there are no leaks.
NASA on Saturday scrapped a second attempt to get its new 30-story rocket off the ground and send its uncrewed test capsule toward the Moon. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
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This update comes after standing down at Saturday's launch due to a hydrogen leak in a quick disconnect interface.
Mission managers later met, agreeing that they would forego additional launch attempts in early September.
Teams encountered a liquid hydrogen leak while loading the propellant into the core stage of the Space Launch System rocket. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The inaugural flight is now off for weeks, at least, until late September or October.
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A previous launch attempt on Monday was also scrubbed due to a bad engine sensor and leaking fuel.
The $4.1 billion test flight is the first step in NASA’s Artemis program of renewed lunar exploration.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.