NASA Forced to Delay Much-Anticipated Artemis I Mission

Posted: August 29, 2022 1:16 pm

It was a disappointing day for NASA and the entire space community when the launch of Artemis was delayed after technical issues. Artemis I had been scheduled to take flight on a 42-day mission on Monday morning, following years of planning and testing. However a number of issues forced NASA officials to make the difficult decision to postpone the mission until at least Friday.

What Went Wrong with Monday’s Planned Launch?

It has been about 50 years since humans have stepped foot on the moon. Artemis I was set to put the plan in motion to get humans back to the lunar surface. The mission had been scheduled to take off from the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center on the new Space Launch System (SLS). The mission is designed to send the Orion spacecraft to the moon after the long absence.

Leading up to the big moment, NASA had been confident that it would go off as planned. The launch window opened at 8:33 am EDT at the space center on the coast of central Florida. However, engineers immediately discovered issues with the temperature of the engine number three hydrogen fuel line.

Launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson ended up scrubbing the Monday launch after controllers issued an unplanned countdown starting at 40 minutes to launch. The decision came after a team of engineers and flight managers discussed the problems.

According to NASA officials, none of the solutions worked to fix the problem and it would not have been possible for the flight controllers to remedy the issue within the planned two-hour launch window. The official statement said that the SLS and Orion spacecraft are still in a stable configuration, allowing launch controllers and engineers to gather more data and fix the issue.

What is Next for Artemis I?

Friday afternoon is the next available window to potentially get Artemis I off the ground. Following that, the next opportunity will be on September 5. However, officials caution that the potential launch on either of these days depends on if engineers can remedy the problem that caused Monday’s launch to be postponed. As always, weather will also be a contributing influence.

There was a similar issue during June’s rehearsal for the launch. Like Monday’s setback, engineers discovered a problem with the bleed line that works to move the fuel from the core stage to the pad. Engineers were unable to solve the issue during this rehearsal as well.

Although NASA had previously reported a fuel leak ahead of the launch, officials did not indicate that it would disrupt the launch in any way. Engineers with the organization also announced that they had been examining what they believed to be a small crack on the core stage prior to the planned liftoff.

Despite the ongoing issues, NASA announced on Sunday that Artemis I was primed to take off as scheduled on Monday morning.

Goal of the Mission

This first Artemis I mission is an uncrewed launch that is carrying the Orion capsule. It has also been distinguished as the first launch using the new SLS. The goal of Artemis I is to test the capabilities of the SLS before humans are delivered back into space.

Assuming Artemis I does go off as planned, the journey will take it around the moon and back to Earth on an adventure of 1.3 million miles. It will return to Earth and splash down off the coast of San Diego in the Pacific Ocean.

Although there are no humans on board this mission, the passenger list in Orion includes three mannequins and a stuffed Snoopy toy. The plush toy will begin to float as the capsule reaches space, serving as a zero gravity indicator for the engineers monitoring the mission.

While Snoopy is busy with the gravity monitoring portion of the mission, the three mannequins will be used to measure deep space radiation. The mannequins will also test a newly designed space suit and special shielding technogloy. In addition, algae, fungi, yeast, and seeds inside of Orion will tell scientists how life responds to the presence of space radiation.

A number of cameras located both inside and outside of the Orion capsule will transmit video and still images back to the control center.

History of Moon Exploration

Apollo 17 first landed on the moon in 1972. Neil Armstrong is famous for being the first human to walk on the surface of the moon with Gene Cernan being the last to enjoy this distinction.

Following this monumental moment in space exploration, NASA shifted its focus away from the moon and into other areas of the universe. Along the way, two separate disasters took the lives of 14 astronauts, prompting officials to retire the space shuttle.

Vice President Kamala Harris had traveled to the Kennedy Space Center with second gentleman Doug Emhoff to watch the historic launch. Following the postponement of the mission, Harris tweeted that the administration remains committed to the Artemis Program and its goals to return to the moon.

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