NASA is just days away from its first chance to launch Artemis 2, the first astronaut mission to the moon since 1972, and will attempt a critical test for the lunar flight on Monday, Feb. 2.
- NASA rolls Artemis 2 rocket to the pad ahead of historic moon launch
- NASA moves critical fueling test for Artemis 2 moon rocket up to Jan. 31
- Artemis 2 complete coverage: See our full stories on the moon mission
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.
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
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:
NASA delays critical Artemis 2 rocket fueling test due to below-freezing temperatures, launch no earlier than Feb. 8
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.
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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