The first launch was canceled on Monday, at the last moment, due to a technical problem. The American mission Artémis 1 must propel the Orion capsule without crew to the orbit around the Moon.
Le Monde with AFP
After a first attempt failed on Monday because of a technical problem, NASA announced, Tuesday, August 30, that it would try to launch its new mega rocket for the moon on Saturday.
“We agreed to change our take-off date for Saturday, September 3,” Mike Sarafin, in charge of NASA of the Artémis-1 mission, said at a press conference, which must mark the start of the American return to the Moon program.
A meteorological manager declared himself “optimistic” concerning time on Saturday, even if the probability of unavociation conditions during the two -hour shooting window, which begins at 2:17 p.m. local time (8:17 p.m., Paris time), is “high”.
The takeoff of the Space Launch System (SLS), this new NASA rocket – the most powerful in the world – is made from the Kennedy space center, Florida.
Check the safety of the vehicle for Future astronauts
The launch of the rocket was canceled on Monday at the last moment due to a cooling problem of one of the four main engines, below the main floor. These RS-25 engines must be cooled so as not to undergo shock with the ultra-cold fuel when on. But one of them could not reach the desired temperature.
This temperature is reached by letting a tiny part of the cryogenic fuel on the engines escape. This problem was due to a “poor connection” on an element of the machine, which has since been “repaired”, said John HoneyCutt, in charge of the rocket program.
Thousands of people had made the trip on Monday to attend the show, including the vice-president of the United States, Kamala Harris. A leakage problem at the time of filling the fuel tanks had also been observed, and even if it had been overcome, the NASA teams will work to settle it by Saturday.
The Artémis -1 mission must propel the Orion capsule without crew until orbit around the moon, in order to verify that the vehicle is safe for future astronauts – including the first woman and the first person in color who will work on The lunar surface.