TECHWEEK
NASA does not stop trying to launch the SLS launch vehicle with the Orion spacecraft to the Moon as part of the Artemis I mission . Two weeks are allotted for repairs and new tests. The next launch date for the rocket is September 23rd.
NASA engineers fenced off the repair site and covered it with a tent to prevent damage to the “innards” of the rocket during the autopsy. Specialists are changing the seals in the quick-release connector for supplying liquid hydrogen from the mobile station to the first-stage tanks. Seals are changed both on the main line and in the bleed channel. On-site repair will allow you to check the quality of the connection immediately, which is impossible to do in the conditions of the assembly shop.
If the work is carried out according to schedule and is successful, the next attempt to launch the SLS launch vehicle will be carried out on September 23, when the 2-hour launch window opens. The next window of 70 minutes will open on September 27, which gives one more backup date in case of another failure.
However, permission to start does not depend on NASA specialists, but on the certification authority for the abort system. Even with a permit extended to 25 days, the deadlines have passed. To re-test the flight abort system, it is necessary to replace its batteries and re-test, which can only be done in the assembly shop. To bypass this procedure and try to launch the rocket in two weeks, NASA has filed a new request to renew the certification. It hasn’t received a response yet.
However, NASA experts are preparing a schedule of checks and new flight schedules, taking into account previously planned missions. The rocket does not benefit from being transported to the hangar and back, but they do it every three months, starting in April. Therefore, the decision to close the issue with the launch, taking into account some risk, may be justified, otherwise the launch may not take place at all.
