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
Image (Credit): Lightening striking the Artemis I launch pad on August 27, 2022. (NASA)
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.
With the Artemis I mission ready to go on Monday, it is worth taking a moment to remember the Kennedy Space Center’s (KSC) 60th anniversary. As shown in the NASA graphic below, the KSC has been very busy over the years and has much more to do. This NASA site has more information and memories. This video also highlights some key moments in space history as well as some dreams about the future.
Image (Credit): NASA’s Space Launch System moving from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on August 16, 2022. (NASA)
This week’s image highlights NASA’s actions to launch the first phase of the Artemis Mission. The image shows the Space Launch System and Orion capsule moving towards launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center. The launch of the six-week unmanned mission around the Moon is planned for August 29th. The full mission for this first phase, or Artemis I, is shown below.
On this week’s podcast program Sway, you can re-listen to a September 2020 interview between host Kara Swisher and Elon Musk. This was long before all the Twitter nonsense, when Mr. Musk was still focused on cars and space (mostly). The discussion covers plenty of topics, including the need to settle Mars (Mr. Musk disagress with Jeff Bezos who he said believes a space station will be enough to save humanity from an existential crisis), neural implants, and a return to the Moon.
You can tell the program is dated because Mr. Musk complains that NASA cannot find a way to return to the Moon, whereas today we have the Artemis lunar program that includes SpaceX as one of its contractors. Nonetheless, it is good to hear from the old Musk when he was a little more focused.
Then again, the neural implants still seem odd. Neuralink, a company he co-founded, is focusing on those with disabilities at the moment, but the application is expected to be more widespread:
Neuralink is currently focused on making medical devices. These devices have the potential to help people with a wide range of injuries and neurological disorders, and we hope to develop treatments for many of these conditions in the coming years. We expect that as our devices continue scale, and as we learn to communicate with more areas of the brain, we will discover new, non-medical applications for our [brain-machine interface] BMIs. Neuralink’s long-term vision is to create BCIs that are sufficiently safe and powerful that the general population would want to have them.
Helping paraplegics walk and curing brain disorders are certainly noble goals. And, hey, ordering a pizza just by thinking about it sounds cool. But many experts are concerned that Musk is seriously overhyping what Neuralink’s implants will be able to accomplish.
Elon Musk overhyping an idea? Never!
Check it out. You can download the podcast at the New York Times, the Apple Store, and elsewhere.
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