Olivia Cavallaro Science 09.12.2022 00:Sep AM EDT

NASA Completes Artemis 1's Fuel Seal Replacement, Targets Late September Launch

The space agency has concluded its repair of a hydrogen leak on the Artemis 1's seals.

NASA is gearing up to attempt to launch Artemis 1 for the third time in recent weeks after completing the repair of a critical seal that encountered a hydrogen leak, which caused the space agency to postpone the launch on September 3. This was the second attempt at sending off the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket into space after the first launch was postponed over an engine bleed issue in one of the rocket's four engines.

In the early morning of the September 3 launch of the SLS rocket at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a hydrogen leak was first detected by NASA engineers as thousands of gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellant were being poured into the tanks, Engadget reported. Despite having an allowance of up to two hours before launch to address the leak that occurred in the connection of the fuel line located near the engine compartment of the massive rocket, scientists simply could not fix the issue and were forced to delay the launch for the second time in a week.

NASA Preparing to Conduct Tests to Confirm Systems are Functioning Properly Ahead of New Launch Date

After completing the fuel seal replacement on the SLS rocket, NASA will conduct a fueling test to ensure that these parts are working perfectly. As part of the dry run, NASA engineers will fill the SLS with 736,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and oxygen required for the flight. The space agency hopes to complete these tests by September 17.

"This demonstration will allow engineers to check the new seals under cryogenic, or supercold, conditions as expected on launch day and before proceeding to the next launch attempt," NASA confirmed.

If this week's tests go well, Artemis 1 can proceed to launch sometime later this month. NASA is looking to attempt another launch on September 23 or September 27. But this will only occur if the Space Force in Cap Canaveral, which supervises the self-destruct system of the SLS rocket, grants its approval.

Artemis 1 to Launch Into Lunar Orbit

NASA hopes to launch the SLS rocket, which is the most powerful one they've built in its history, into lunar orbit as a trial run before sending actual astronauts in the next flight in 2024. According to PBS Newshour, this trip would pave the way for astronauts to make their second moon landing in 2025, 50 years since the first one back in the 1970s.

Jim Free, who leads NASA's exploration systems development, said that the tanking test must be done before they could determine "realism and schedule" to ensure a September 23 launch date. The SLS rocket requires batteries that activate the system in the event it veers off its course and into populated areas.

The periodic testing of these batteries can only be done in the hangar, and the process involves military certification. Every time the rocket is moved from the hangar and the launch pad, it ensures "routine wear and tear," which NASA chief engineer John Blevins said they all wish to avoid. After all, they already have three tips to the pad this year thus far.