Ground teams at Kennedy Space Center in Florida have detected an issue with one of four Space Launch System main engines, resulting in a scrub of tonight’s scheduled launch.
The unplanned hold began at 9:10 pm AEST. Launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson had been consulting with the team in anticipation of a troubleshooting plan and a way forward, but the decision was made to scrub tonight’s launch. No firm date has been set for the next launch attempt, but the next two-hour window opens at 2:48 am AEST on Saturday, September 3. Failing that, NASA can try again on Tuesday, September 6 at 7:12 am AEST.
The launch of #Artemis I is no longer happening today as teams work through an issue with an engine bleed. Teams will continue to gather data, and we will keep you posted on the timing of the next launch attempt. https://t.co/tQ0lp6Ruhv pic.twitter.com/u6Uiim2mom
— NASA (@NASA) August 29, 2022
Engineers were struggling to dial-in the temperature of core stage engine number three. Tanking of the engines began at 3:14 pm AEST, but during the engine bleed, engineers found that the engine wasn’t reaching the desired temperature, according to Artemis Launch Control. This was something the teams were hoping to address during the last wet dress rehearsal but were unable to do so, meaning this has been the first opportunity for the teams to see this particular issue live in action. All that said, SLS and the Orion spacecraft “remain in a safe and stable configuration,” according to NASA.
Capable of generating 8.1 million pounds of thrust, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) will be largest rocket to ever take flight. The rocket is a critical centrepiece to the upcoming Artemis era, in which NASA seeks a permanent return to the lunar environment. The first launch represents Artemis 1, a mission that aims to send an uncrewed Orion capsule on a 42-day journey to the Moon and back. For this flight, three manikins will ride in Orion to measure the stresses that real astronauts would face on the trip. You can learn more about the Artemis 1 mission here.
It’s all in preparation for Artemis 3, in which NASA hopes to land a man and a woman on the lunar surface. This could take place as early as 2025.
This article has been updated since it was first published.