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‘Launch’ countdown underway for 2nd Artemis fueling test
The fueling test countdown is in full swing for today’s wet dress rehearsal for NASA’s Artemis 2 moon rocket.
Read our preview of today’s critical test here from our own Josh Dinner:
NASA hopes to avoid more hydrogen leaks during 2nd Artemis 2 rocket fueling test today: Watch live
As of 7 a.m. EST (1200 GMT) today, ground control teams worked to configure the Artemis 2 Space Launch System rocket with gaseous nitrogen needed to protect against fire hazards at the pad.
“Technicians are replacing the ambient air with gaseous nitrogen, which is an inert gas that does not support combustion,” NASA wrote in an update. “By replacing air – which contains highly-combustible oxygen – with nitrogen, engineers can remove the oxidizer needed to sustain fire and dramatically reduce flammability risks in a launch environment filled with high-energy systems and propellants.”
Today’s fueling test will attempt to fill the 322-foot SLS Artemis 2 rocket with more than 700,000 pounds of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen it will need to launch 4 astronauts around the moon in early March. This is the second such fueling test.
A similar test on Feb. 2-3 revealed hydrogen leaks and other issues that prevented NASA from reaching a planned “simulated launch” time.
Today’s test is targeting a simulated launch time of 8:30 p.m. EST (0130 FEb. 20 GMT).
Tariq Malik
Artemis 2 wet dress rehearsal underway for a second time
Mission operators answered a call to stations last night (Feb. 17), at 6:50 p.m. EST (2350 GMT), to kick off the second wet dress rehearsal (WDR) for the Artemis 2 Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
The test continued overnight, with teams spending the late evening and early morning hours powering up key vehicle systems. Per NASA’s WDR timeline, Orion was powered on before midnight, followed by core stage and interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) activations in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Engineers were then scheduled to move into final preparations for the rocket’s four RS-25 engines.
Through this morning and afternoon, teams are expected to focus on battery charging operations for both Orion and the SLS core stage. The ICPS, which was powered down earlier in the countdown, will later be reactivated ahead of tanking procedures.
The most critical milestone of the rehearsal remains on track for Thursday, when NASA plans to load more than 730,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into SLS — the same operation that forced an early end to the first Artemis 2 wet dress in January after a hydrogen leak was detected.
Engineers will spend today continuing to work through the countdown sequence leading toward that fueling attempt.
2nd Artemis 2 wet dress rehearsal is underway
The second “wet dress rehearsal” for NASA’s Artemis 2 moon mission is underway.
The Artemis 2 wet dress — a two-day-long practice run of the procedures leading up to launch — began today (Feb. 17) at 6:50 p.m. EST (2350 GMT), when launch team members arrived at their stations in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The most anticipated point of the rehearsal will come on Thursday (Feb. 19), when teams fill Artemis 2’s Space Launch System rocket with more than 700,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX) propellant. The mission’s first wet dress, which began on Jan. 31, ended early after the detection of an LH2 leak during propellant load.
LH2 leaks also plagued the wet dress rehearsals for Artemis 1, which ended up launching in November 2022 after significant delays. Artemis 1 was a success, sending an uncrewed Orion capsule to lunar orbit and back.
Artemis 2 is the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis program. It will send four astronauts on a 10-day trip around the moon and back to Earth aboard Orion. It could launch as soon as March 6.
NASA to attempt 2nd Artemis 2 fueling test on Feb. 19
NASA has set an official date for its second Artemis 2 rocket fueling test, a critical trial to determine if the towering rocket is ready to launch four astronauts to the moon in early March.
The fueling test, called a “wet dress rehearsal,” is now scheduled for no earlier than Thursday, Feb. 19, with NASA calling launch controllers to their stations later tonight (Tuesday, Feb. 17) to begin the nearly 50-hour countdown test at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
“The wet dress rehearsal will run the launch team as well as supporting teams through a full range of operations, including loading cryogenic liquid propellant into the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s tanks, conducting a launch countdown, demonstrating the ability to recycle the countdown clock, and draining the tanks to practice scrub procedures,” NASA said in a statement Monday (Feb. 16).
NASA did attempt an earlier fueling test on Feb. 2-3, but did not reach its targeted launch time due to ground equipment issues and hydrogen fuel leaks similar to those that also plagued the space agency’s uncrewed Artemis 1 launch in 2022.
Last week, pad engineers replaced a suspect filter in ground support equipment at Launch Pad 39B at the space center, where the Artemis 2 rocket has stood for weeks.
Today, launch controllers will arrive at their target stations at 6:40 p.m. EST (2340 GMT) to begin a test countdown that is expected to end with a “simulated launch” on Feb. 19 at 8:30 p.m. EST (0130 Feb. 20), plus or minus 4 hours, NASA has said.
Tariq Malik
NASA plans a round 2 for Artemis rocket fueling test
Hey, space fans!
As we heard today, NASA is going to need a do-over for its Artemis 2 fueling test before the mission team can feel comfortable to attempt an actual launch with four astronauts on board.
Spaceflight writer Josh Dinner has a full report on the latest from today’s press briefing here:
NASA had 3 years to fix fuel leaks on its Artemis moon rocket. Why are they still happening?
Leaks of liquid hydrogen propellant dogged NASA’s Artemis 1 tests before that uncrewed mission launched in late 2022, and now the agency is seeing the same thing on Artemis 2. There are some other issues, including ones that popped up with the Orion spacecraft’s hatch and a fuel line connector.
NASA is now evaluating when it can try a second fueling test for Artemis 2, and what other tests to arrange during that trial. When we learn of that date, we’ll share that with you here so do continue to check back with Space.com.
Until then, we’ll pause our updates and thanks for tuning in. See you at the next fueling test.
Tariq Malik
NASA pushing Artemis 2 moon launch to March at the earliest
The February window had consisted of three possible remaining dates: Feb. 8, Feb. 10 and Feb. 11. Artemis 2 will now launch no earlier than March — specifically, March 6-9 or March 11. If the mission can’t hit any of those dates, another window opens in April, with potential launch dates on April 1, April 3-6 and April 30.
NASA completes SLS core stage fueling
In a major milestone for the Artemis 2 wet dress rehearsal, NASA completed fueling of the SLS core stage with liquid hydrogen propellant.
The stage will now enter into a topping phase, with a slow replenishment of fuel to replace boil-off hydrogen as the clock clicks down the hours.
A small hydrogen leak at the SLS tail service mast umbilical has persisted, but NASA engineers have deemed it within acceptable limits.
The count now proceeds toward a targeted T-0 of 9 p.m. EST (0200 GMT, Feb. 3).
NASA resumes liquid hydrogen fill for SLS core stage
At just over five hours to the simulated launch, mission operators have officially resumed fast filling LH2 into the SLS core stage, and begun filling the ICPS upper stage with liquid oxygen.
If everything continues smoothly from here, the Artemis 2 wet dress rehearsal could successfully reach the T-0 goal of 9 p.m. EST (0200 GMT, Feb. 3), though that window extends to early Feb. 3 at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT), giving mission managers some wiggle room if further holds are necessary.
SLS stage 2 fueling underway as NASA troubleshoots LH2 leak
As NASA ground operators continue troubleshooting the LH2 loading issue with the SLS core stage, mission managers have continued with other stages of tanking as the countdown has progressed.
At T-6:00 to wet dress rehearsal’s simulated 9p.m. EST (0200 GMT, Feb. 3) liftoff time, propellant loading for the rest of the rocket has remained nominal. LOX levels on the SLS core stage are nearing 90%, LOX chill-down for the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) has begun and LH2 loading of the ICPS is approaching 20%.
With NASA’s window extending all the way until 1a.m. EST (0600) tomorrow morning, mission managers have some wiggle room to continue troubleshooting the off-nominal LH2 leak before the clock runs out. It is notable, however, that the fuel leak being investigated is the same tail service mast umbilical associated with the hydrogen issues that plagued the Artemis 1 SLS during its wet dress rehearsals.
In an update, NASA said it is utilizing troubleshooting procedures put in place as a result of Artemis 1 to address today’s fueling issue.
SLS core stage cryogenic chilldown underway ahead of propellant tanking
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T-9:25 – 9:00 |
Core stage LH2 slow fill start |
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T-9:00 – 7:40 |
Core stage LH2 fast fill |
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T-9:10 – 8:55 |
Core stage LOX slow fill |
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T-8:55 – 6:10 |
Core stage LOX fast fill |
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T-8:45 – 8:10 |
ICPS LH2 chilldown |
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T-8:10 – 7:25 |
ICPS LH2 fast fill star |
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T-7:45 – 6:00 |
ICPS LOX main propulsion system chilldown |
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T-7:40 – 7:30 |
Core stage LH2 topping |
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T-7:30 |
terminal count: Core stage LH2 replenish |
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T-7:25 – 7:05 |
ICPS LH2 vent and relief test |
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T-7:05 – 6:55 |
ICPS LH2 tank topping start |
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T-6:50 – terminal count |
ICPS LH2 replenish |
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T-6:10 – 5:40 |
Core stage LOX topping |
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T-6:10 – 5:40 |
Orion communications system activated |
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T-6:00 – 5:15 |
ICPS LOX fast fill |
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T-5:40 |
Stage pad rescue |
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T-5:40 |
Closeout crew assemble |
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T-5:40 – terminal count |
Core stage LOX replenish |
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T-5:15 – 5:00 |
ICPS LOX vent and relief test |
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T-5:00 – 4:40 |
ICPS LOX topping |
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T-4:40 |
All stages replenish |
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T-4:40 |
Start 40-minute built in hold |
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T-4:40 – terminal count |
ICPS LOX replenish |
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T-4:40 – 4:25 |
Closeout crew to white room |
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T-4:40 – 4:20 |
Crew Module hatch preps and closure |
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T-4:20 – 3:20 |
Counterbalance mechanism hatch sealpress decay |
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T-3:20 – 2:40 |
Crew Module Hatch service panel install/closeouts |
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T-2:40 – 2:20 |
Launch Abort System (LAS) Hatch closure for flight |
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T-1:45 – 1:40 |
Closeout crew departs Launch Complex 39B |
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T-1:10 |
Launch Director brief |
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T-0:40:00 |
Built in 30-minute countdown hold begins |
This will bring SLS into its terminal count. Beginning at T-10 minutes, teams will be put through a series of holds and count recycles to ensure readiness under a variety of scenarios.
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T-0:25:00 |
Transition team to Orion to Earth communication loop |
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T-0:16:00 |
The launch director polls the team to ensure they are “go” for launch |
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T-0:10:00 |
Ground Launch Sequencer (GLS) initiates terminal count |
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T-0:08:00 |
Crew Access Arm retract |
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T-0:06:00 |
Orion set to internal power |
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T-0:05:57 |
Core stage LH2 terminate replenish |
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T-0:04:00 |
Core stage LOX terminate replenish |
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T-0:04:00 |
Core Stage APU starts |
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T-0:03:30 |
ICPS LOX terminate replenish |
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T-0:02:02 |
ICPS switches to internal battery power |
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T-0:02:00 |
Booster switches to internal batter power |
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T-0:01:30 |
Hold for three minutes to verify core stage certification hold time |
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T-0:01:30 |
Core stage switches to internal power |
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T-0:01:20 |
ICPS enters terminal countdown mode |
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T-0:00:50 |
ICPS LH2 terminate replenish |
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T-0:00:33 |
GLS sends “go for automated launch sequencer” command |
Josh Dinner
NASA begins SLS fueling coverage for Artemis 2 wet dress rehearsal
NASA has begun its commentary coverage for the final day of the Artemis 2 wet dress rehearsal. Teams were given the “go” to proceed into fueling operations from Artemis launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson and mission managers at 11:25 a.m. EST (1625 GMT), and will now proceed into the critical tanking phase of the two-day long SLS launch simulation test.
Fueling the rocket successfully is a crucial milestone for the rocket ahead of its qualification to launch astronauts around the moon. Issues during the first Artemis 1 wet dress rehearsal in April 2022 led to nearly six months of troubleshooting before the rocket was cleared for flight. If everything today goes smoothly, NASA is targeting 9 p.m. EST (0200 GMT, Feb. 3) for T-0, but could extend the test to early Tuesday morning (Feb. 3) at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT).
Josh Dinner
Non-essential personnel cleared from launchpad ahead of SLS fueling
With the sun rising on the second day of the Artemis 2 wet dress rehearsal, NASA is preparing the SLS for the test’s most critical phase: Fueling.
Following NASA’s countdown timeline, all non-essential personnel were scheduled to be cleared from Launch Complex-39B this morning (Feb. 2), ahead of operations to begin fueling SLS with cryogenic propellants.
The fueling portion of the wet dress rehearsal will begin around 11 a.m. EST (1600 GMT), and encompass the remaining 10 hours of testing. NASA is targeting a simulated T-0 of 9 p.m. EST (0200 GMT, Feb. 3), which they say could extend to early Tuesday morning (Feb. 3) at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT).
You can watch the Artemis 2 wet dress rehearsal live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA; the agency is livestreaming the wet dress 24/7.
Watch NASA fuel up its Artemis 2 moon rocket today in critical prelaunch test
Josh Dinner
Artemis 2 moon rocket powered up for test
NASA engineers have powered up the huge core stage of the Artemis 2 Space Launch System rocket that will take four astronuts to the moon later this month, but only if the mega booster passes a critical fueling test on Monday, Feb. 2 at its Pad 39B launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA began the 49-hour countdown toward the fueling test (which reaches a simulated launch time at 9 p.m. EST on Monday) on Saturday night, with the clock started at 8:13 p.m. EST (2313 GMT). If all goes well, the Artemis 2 mission could launch astronauts to the moon as early as Feb. 8.
Overnight, NASA powered up the second stage of the rocket and earlier today the massive core stage of the 322-foot Space Launch System booster was powered on, NASA said.
“Early this morning, at approximately L-39 hours and 30 minutes, teams powered up the rocket’s core stage, which soon will be loaded with more than 700,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen during the tanking phase of the countdown. This will occur over a series of different propellant loading milestones to fill, top off, and replenish the tanks. The interim cryogenic propulsion stage was powered up overnight,” NASA wrote in an update.
“Orion has remained powered over the last several days due to cold temperatures in Florida. Engineers are preparing to charge Orion’s flight batteries and soon will begin core stage battery charge,” the agency said.
Tariq Malik
Countdown begins for Artemis 2 fueling test
Good morning, space fans! Happy Sunday.
NASA officially began the countdown last night for its upcomiong Artemis 2 fueling test as it works toward a Feb. 8 launch target for the first astronaut trip around the moon in over 50 years.
The countdown began at 8:13 p.m. EST (2313 GMT), which marked the L-48 hours, 40-minute mark to a “simulated” launch time on Monday, Feb. 2 at 9 p.m. EST (0200 Feb. 3). The so-called wet dress rehearsal will run through about 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT) on Feb. 3, NASA has said.
You can see live views of the Artemis 2 moon rocket on the launch pad here.
“This test will run the launch team, as well as supporting teams in the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and other supporting NASA centers, through a full range of operations, including loading cryogenic liquid propellant into the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s tanks, conducting a launch countdown, demonstrating the ability to recycle the countdown clock, and draining the tanks to practice scrub procedures,” NASA wrote in an update. “These steps ensure the team is fully prepared for launch day.”
The Artemis 2 mission will last about 10 days and send four astronauts around the moon on an Orion spacecraft atop NASA’s giant Space Launch System megarocket. The launch window this month runs from Feb. 8 to Feb. 11, with additional windows in March and April.
Tariq Malik
Artemis 2 fueling test to begin preps tonight
Good morning, Space Fans!
Today is Saturday, Jan. 31 and tonight NASA is gearing up to to begin its first fueling test for the the Artemis 2 Space Launch System moon rocket for a so-called “wet dress rehearsal.” That’s NASA-speak for let’s gas up the rocket and see if it is working right.
While the fueling test is actually scheduled for Monday, Feb. 2, the work actually begins tonight at about 8 p.m. ET (0100 Feb. 1 GMT). That’s because launch flight controllers and pad engineers need to begin taking their stations 49 hours BEFORE the fueling test’s planned T-0 “launch” time of 9 p.m. ET on Monday.
The Artemis 2 fueling test is being conducted at Launch Pad 39A of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the towering 322-foot rocket was rolled out earlier this month.
The fueling test has seesawed a bit back and forth. It was originally scheduled for Feb. 2, then moved up to Jan. 31, then pushed back to Feb. 2 due to freezing temperatures at the Kennedy Space Center this weekend.
The Artemis 2 launch date will depend on the results of this fueling test. Currently, Artemis 2 is scheduled to launch 4 astronauts to the moon no earlier than Feb. 8.
Tariq Malik
Artemis 2 moon launch may delay ISS Crew-12 mission
NASA’s plan to launch its Artemis 2 astronauts around the moon around Feb. 8 has cast doubt on whether the next U.S. crew launch to the International Space Station will lift off on time.
Artemis 2 is currently scheduled to launch four astronauts around the moon late in the evening on Feb. 8 from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Crew-12 mission to the ISS was scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket from a nearby pad at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
But if Artemis 2 launches on time, or anytime during its launch window of Feb. 8 to Feb. 11, NASA will wait to launch Crew-12 to the International Space Station until at leas Feb. 19, after the Artemis 2 astronauts return home from their 10-day mission, NASA officials said in a press conference today.
See our full story by Josh dinner here:
NASA’s Artemis 2 mission to the moon puts Crew-12 SpaceX launch in delicate dance
Tariq Malik
NASA delays Artemis 2 fueling test back to Feb. 2
Happy Friday, Space Fans! It is Jan. 30 and this morning, NASA pushed back its planned “wet dress rehearsal” test of the Artemis 2 moon rocket to no earlier than Feb. 2 (it’s original date) due to freezing temperatures at its Launch Pad 39B pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Here’s our latest update from writer Josh Dinner:
Notice anything about that headline? If you said the launch date, you get a prize.
With the wet dress rehearsal, essentially a critical fueling test of the Artemis 2 Space Launch System moon rocket, now back on Feb. 2, NASA said in a statement that it can no longer target Feb. 6 or Feb. 7, the first two days of its launch window. The Artemis 2 launch window originally ran from Feb. 6 to Feb. 10.
NASA does have opportunities to launch the mission on Feb. 8, Feb. 10 and Feb. 11. A Feb. 8 launch would lift off at 11:20 p.m. ET (0429 GMT), NASA has said.
Tariq Malik
NASA beginning wet dress rehearsal operations Thursday evening
Artemis 2 mission operators at NASA are preparing the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for it’s last critical test before launch.
The SLS wet dress rehearsal will simulate a mission countdown for ground teams to power on and fuel the rocket as a final qualifying check before Artemis 2 launches to the moon.
NASA is targeting a call to stations as early as 8:00 p.m. EST (2000 GMT) on Thursday (Jan. 29), about 49 hours before a simulated liftoff time on Saturday, at 9:00 p.m. EST (0200 GMT, Feb. 1).
If the test goes smoothly, NASA could choose to proceed toward the February launch window for Artemis 2, which opens Feb. 6-10.
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