Artemis

NASA is ready to try the uncrewed Artemis I mission again next month. The planned date is November 14, with November 16 and 19 as back up dates.

Should you need it, here is a quick summary of the Artemis I mission again:

Artemis I will be the first integrated flight test of NASA’s deep space exploration system: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the ground systems at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will be an uncrewed flight that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration, and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond. During this flight, the uncrewed Orion spacecraft will launch on the most powerful rocket in the world and travel thousands of miles beyond the Moon, farther than any spacecraft built for humans has ever flown, over the course of about a three-week mission. 

I am tired of crossing my fingers, so let’s just hope these launch dates work.

This time of year the weather tends to be troublesome in the Florida region, but NASA still hopes to try again with its Artemis I uncrewed launch to the Moon on September 27th.

Here are the updated mission facts:

• Launch date: Sept. 27, 2022
• Mission duration: 38 days, 23 hours, 49 minutes
• Total distance traveled: 1.3 million miles
• Re-entry speed: 24,500 mph (Mach 32)
• Splashdown: Nov. 05, 2022

CNN reports that “Concerns over the weather system forming in the Caribbean put the weather conditions at only 20% favorable for a launch.” So don’t get your hopes too high, but at least NASA has resolved the hydrogen leak.

Fingers crossed.

Update: You can uncross those fingers. The launch is being delayed due to weather.

This is the mission status from 11:22 am today:

The launch director waived off today’s Artemis I launch attempt at approximately 11:17 a.m. EDT. Teams encountered a liquid hydrogen leak while loading the propellant into the core stage of the Space Launch System rocket.  Multiple troubleshooting efforts to address the area of the leak by reseating a seal in the quick disconnect where liquid hydrogen is fed into the rocket did not fix the issue. Engineers are continuing to gather additional data.

An early September launch is not possible, so here are the future launch windows that NASA can consider:

September 19 – October 4 

• 14 launch opportunities 
• No launch availability on Sept. 29 and Sept. 30

October 17 – October 31 

• 11 launch opportunities 

• No launch availability on October 24, 25, 26, and 28 

November 12 – November 27 (preliminary) 

• 12 launch opportunities 
• No launch availability on November 20, 21, and 26 

December 9 – December 23 (preliminary) 

• 11 launch opportunities 
• No launch availability on December 10, 14, 18, and 23 

Even after thunderstorms threatened the Artemis I launchpad over the weekend, everything is still a go for tomorrow’s scheduled launch at 8:33 am EDT of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket.

This NASA video shows you the entire plan for the Artemis I unmanned mission around the Moon. A few mission facts from the NASA site are also provided below.

Mission Facts:

• Launch date: Aug. 29, 2022
• Mission duration: 42 days, 3 hours, 20 minutes
• Total distance traveled: 1.3 million miles
• Re-entry speed: 24,500 mph (Mach 32)
• Splashdown: Oct. 10, 2022

Now all we can do it await the new day.

Update: Given some engine problems Monday morning, it appears we will need to wait a little longer for this launch. The next window is September 2nd if NASA is ready. We have waited this long, so a few more days will not matter too much. I think the dummies on board are pretty patient.