SLS to make third launch attempt

NASA’s Artemis 1 mission is now scheduled to make its third liftoff attempt on Sept. 27, the space agency has announced. The rocket is made up of the six-person Orion capsule perched atop the 30-story Space Launch System (SLS) and was initially scheduled to embark on its maiden voyage to the moon and back on Aug. 29. But the mission was scrubbed because engineers were unable to cool one of the rocket's four core stage RS-25 engines down to a safe temperature in time for liftoff. The agency announced that it had fixed the problem, which it blamed on a faulty temperature sensor. Then, during the rocket’s second attempt, an alarm sounded as the craft was being loaded with its supercooled liquid hydrogen fuel, alerting engineers to a gap in the seal of one of the rocket's engines. Engineers tried and failed to plug the leak three times, NASA said. The agency has outlined a new date for the fueling demonstration: Sept. 21. If all goes well, the SLS will launch during a 70-minute window that opens Sept. 27 at 11:37 AM EDT. However, for all the reasons, the agency has a backup launch date on Oct. 2. (Sources: LiveScience, ExtremeTech, 09/15/22) Previous