How many thought that it was going to get off this time.
Not I.
PP
SLS Roll-out
Re: SLS Roll-out
Show of hands.
How many thought that it was going to get off this time.
Not I.
PP
How many thought that it was going to get off this time.
Not I.
PP
Re: SLS Roll-out
Astronaut Mike Massimino put it best this morning...
He told friends and relatives who were coming to watch his Space Shuttle launches to "Plan a week-long vacation in Florida and maybe see a launch as well".
PP
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G~Man
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Re: SLS Roll-out
I used to live right there in Titusville and could see the launches from the roof of my house. We would buy LOTS of beer as the roads clog up and you are not going anywhere for about 5 hours after a launch.
Life may not be the party you hoped for, but while you're here, you may as well dance. Re: SLS Roll-out
Artemis I’s next launch attempt may not happen until later this year
Something in me says:
Artemis I’s next launch attempt may not happen until next year
https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/03/world/na ... index.html
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
CNN
—
NASA will not pursue a launch of Artemis I for the remainder of the launch period, which ends on Tuesday, according to an update from the agency after a second scrubbed launch attempt Saturday.
Future launch periods, including those in September and October, depend on what the team decides early next week, but this results in a minimum of delays consisting of at least several weeks.
“We will not be launching in this launch period,” said Jim Free, associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate. “We are not where we wanted to be.”
Free said the stack, including the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, has to roll back into the Vehicle Assembly Building, unless they get a waiver from the range, which is run by the US Space Force.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson reminded that the shuttle was sent back to the Vehicle Assembly Building 20 times before it launched – and noted that the cost of two scrubs is a lot less than a failure.
“We do not launch until we think it’s right,” Nelson said. “These teams have labored over that and that is the conclusion they came to. I look at this as part of our space program, in which safety is the top of the list.”
The scrub was called at 11:17 a.m. ET, three hours before the beginning of the launch window.
Artemis I had been slated to take off Saturday afternoon, but those plans were scrubbed after team members discovered a liquid hydrogen leak that they spent the better part of the morning trying to resolve. Liquid hydrogen is one of the propellants used in the rocket’s large core stage. The leak prevented the launch team from being able to fill the liquid hydrogen tank despite trying various troubleshooting procedures.
Previously, a small leak had been seen in this area, but it became a much larger leak on Saturday. The team believes an overpressurization event might have damaged the soft seal on the liquid hydrogen connection, but they will need to take a closer look.
“This was not a manageable leak,” said Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager.
It’s the second time in a week that the space agency has been forced to halt the launch countdown in the face of technical issues. The first launch attempt, on Monday, was called off after several issues arose, including with a system meant to cool the rocket’s engines ahead of liftoff and various leaks that sprung up as the rocket was being fueled.
The liquid hydrogen leak was detected Saturday at 7:15 a.m. ET in the quick disconnect cavity that feeds the rocket with hydrogen in the engine section of the core stage. It was a different leak than one that occurred ahead of the scrubbed launch on Monday.
The launch controllers warmed up the line in an attempt to get a tight seal and the flow of liquid hydrogen resumed before a leak reoccurred. They stopped the flow of liquid hydrogen and proceeded to “close the valve used to fill and drain it, then increase pressure on a ground transfer line using helium to try to reseal it,” according to NASA.
That troubleshooting plan was not successful. The team attempted the first plan again to warm up the line, but the leak reoccurred after they manually restarted the flow of liquid hydrogen.
There was a 60% chance of favorable weather conditions for the launch, according to weather officer Melody Lovin.
The Artemis I stack, which includes the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, continues to sit on Launchpad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The Artemis I mission is just the beginning of a program that will aim to return humans to the moon and eventually land crewed missions on Mars. Nelson said that the issues during the first two scrubs have not caused any delays to future Artemis program missions.
In the last few days, the launch team has taken time to address issues, like hydrogen leaks, that cropped up ahead of Monday’s planned launch before it was scrubbed. The team has also completed a risk assessment of an engine conditioning issue and a foam crack that also cropped up, according to NASA officials.
Both were considered to be acceptable risks heading into the launch countdown, according to Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager.
On Monday, a sensor on one of the rocket’s four RS-25 engines, identified as engine #3, reflected that the engine could not reach the proper temperature range required for the engine to start at liftoff.
The engines need to be thermally conditioned before super-cold propellant flows through them prior to liftoff. To prevent the engines from experiencing any temperature shocks, launch controllers gradually increase the pressure of the core stage liquid hydrogen tank in the hours before launch to send a small amount of liquid hydrogen to the engines. This is known as a “bleed.”
The team has since determined it was a bad sensor providing the reading – they plan to ignore the faulty sensor moving forward, according to John Blevins, Space Launch Systems chief engineer.
Mission overview
Once Artemis I launches, Orion’s journey will last 37 days as it travels to the moon, loops around it and returns to Earth – traveling a total of 1.3 million miles (2.1 million kilometers).
NASA's Artemis I Moon rocket is rolled out to Launch Pad Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on August 16, 2022. - Artemis 1, an uncrewed test flight, will feature the first blastoff of the massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which will be the most powerful in the world when it goes into operation. It will propel the Orion crew capsule into orbit around the Moon. The spacecraft will remain in space for 42 days before returning to Earth. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
Why NASA is returning to the moon 50 years later with Artemis I
While the passenger list doesn’t include any humans, it does have passengers: three mannequins and a plush Snoopy toy will ride in Orion.
The crew aboard Artemis I may sound a little unusual, but they each serve a purpose. Snoopy will serve as the zero gravity indicator – meaning that he will begin to float inside the capsule once it reaches the space environment.
The mannequins, named Commander Moonikin Campos, Helga and Zohar, will measure the deep space radiation future crews could experience and test out new suit and shielding technology. A biology experiment carrying seeds, algae, fungi and yeast is also tucked inside Orion to measure how life reacts to this radiation as well.
Additional science experiments and technology demonstrations are also riding in a ring on the rocket. From there, 10 small satellites, called CubeSats, will detach and go their separate ways to collect information on the moon and the deep space environment.
Cameras inside and outside of Orion will share images and video throughout the mission, including live views from the Callisto experiment, which will capture a stream of Commander Moonikin Campos sitting in the commander’s seat. And if you have an Amazon Alexa-enabled device, you can ask it about the mission’s location each day.
Expect to see views of Earthrise similar to what was shared for the first time during the Apollo 8 mission back in 1968, but with much better cameras and technology.
Artemis I will deliver the first biology experiment to deep space
The inaugural mission of the Artemis program will kick off a phase of NASA space exploration that intends to land diverse astronaut crews at previously unexplored regions of the moon – on the Artemis II and Artemis III missions, slated for 2024 and 2025 respectively – and eventually delivers crewed missions to Mars.
PP
Something in me says:
Artemis I’s next launch attempt may not happen until next year
https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/03/world/na ... index.html
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
CNN
—
NASA will not pursue a launch of Artemis I for the remainder of the launch period, which ends on Tuesday, according to an update from the agency after a second scrubbed launch attempt Saturday.
Future launch periods, including those in September and October, depend on what the team decides early next week, but this results in a minimum of delays consisting of at least several weeks.
“We will not be launching in this launch period,” said Jim Free, associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate. “We are not where we wanted to be.”
Free said the stack, including the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, has to roll back into the Vehicle Assembly Building, unless they get a waiver from the range, which is run by the US Space Force.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson reminded that the shuttle was sent back to the Vehicle Assembly Building 20 times before it launched – and noted that the cost of two scrubs is a lot less than a failure.
“We do not launch until we think it’s right,” Nelson said. “These teams have labored over that and that is the conclusion they came to. I look at this as part of our space program, in which safety is the top of the list.”
The scrub was called at 11:17 a.m. ET, three hours before the beginning of the launch window.
Artemis I had been slated to take off Saturday afternoon, but those plans were scrubbed after team members discovered a liquid hydrogen leak that they spent the better part of the morning trying to resolve. Liquid hydrogen is one of the propellants used in the rocket’s large core stage. The leak prevented the launch team from being able to fill the liquid hydrogen tank despite trying various troubleshooting procedures.
Previously, a small leak had been seen in this area, but it became a much larger leak on Saturday. The team believes an overpressurization event might have damaged the soft seal on the liquid hydrogen connection, but they will need to take a closer look.
“This was not a manageable leak,” said Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager.
It’s the second time in a week that the space agency has been forced to halt the launch countdown in the face of technical issues. The first launch attempt, on Monday, was called off after several issues arose, including with a system meant to cool the rocket’s engines ahead of liftoff and various leaks that sprung up as the rocket was being fueled.
The liquid hydrogen leak was detected Saturday at 7:15 a.m. ET in the quick disconnect cavity that feeds the rocket with hydrogen in the engine section of the core stage. It was a different leak than one that occurred ahead of the scrubbed launch on Monday.
The launch controllers warmed up the line in an attempt to get a tight seal and the flow of liquid hydrogen resumed before a leak reoccurred. They stopped the flow of liquid hydrogen and proceeded to “close the valve used to fill and drain it, then increase pressure on a ground transfer line using helium to try to reseal it,” according to NASA.
That troubleshooting plan was not successful. The team attempted the first plan again to warm up the line, but the leak reoccurred after they manually restarted the flow of liquid hydrogen.
There was a 60% chance of favorable weather conditions for the launch, according to weather officer Melody Lovin.
The Artemis I stack, which includes the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, continues to sit on Launchpad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The Artemis I mission is just the beginning of a program that will aim to return humans to the moon and eventually land crewed missions on Mars. Nelson said that the issues during the first two scrubs have not caused any delays to future Artemis program missions.
In the last few days, the launch team has taken time to address issues, like hydrogen leaks, that cropped up ahead of Monday’s planned launch before it was scrubbed. The team has also completed a risk assessment of an engine conditioning issue and a foam crack that also cropped up, according to NASA officials.
Both were considered to be acceptable risks heading into the launch countdown, according to Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager.
On Monday, a sensor on one of the rocket’s four RS-25 engines, identified as engine #3, reflected that the engine could not reach the proper temperature range required for the engine to start at liftoff.
The engines need to be thermally conditioned before super-cold propellant flows through them prior to liftoff. To prevent the engines from experiencing any temperature shocks, launch controllers gradually increase the pressure of the core stage liquid hydrogen tank in the hours before launch to send a small amount of liquid hydrogen to the engines. This is known as a “bleed.”
The team has since determined it was a bad sensor providing the reading – they plan to ignore the faulty sensor moving forward, according to John Blevins, Space Launch Systems chief engineer.
Mission overview
Once Artemis I launches, Orion’s journey will last 37 days as it travels to the moon, loops around it and returns to Earth – traveling a total of 1.3 million miles (2.1 million kilometers).
NASA's Artemis I Moon rocket is rolled out to Launch Pad Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on August 16, 2022. - Artemis 1, an uncrewed test flight, will feature the first blastoff of the massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which will be the most powerful in the world when it goes into operation. It will propel the Orion crew capsule into orbit around the Moon. The spacecraft will remain in space for 42 days before returning to Earth. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
Why NASA is returning to the moon 50 years later with Artemis I
While the passenger list doesn’t include any humans, it does have passengers: three mannequins and a plush Snoopy toy will ride in Orion.
The crew aboard Artemis I may sound a little unusual, but they each serve a purpose. Snoopy will serve as the zero gravity indicator – meaning that he will begin to float inside the capsule once it reaches the space environment.
The mannequins, named Commander Moonikin Campos, Helga and Zohar, will measure the deep space radiation future crews could experience and test out new suit and shielding technology. A biology experiment carrying seeds, algae, fungi and yeast is also tucked inside Orion to measure how life reacts to this radiation as well.
Additional science experiments and technology demonstrations are also riding in a ring on the rocket. From there, 10 small satellites, called CubeSats, will detach and go their separate ways to collect information on the moon and the deep space environment.
Cameras inside and outside of Orion will share images and video throughout the mission, including live views from the Callisto experiment, which will capture a stream of Commander Moonikin Campos sitting in the commander’s seat. And if you have an Amazon Alexa-enabled device, you can ask it about the mission’s location each day.
Expect to see views of Earthrise similar to what was shared for the first time during the Apollo 8 mission back in 1968, but with much better cameras and technology.
Artemis I will deliver the first biology experiment to deep space
The inaugural mission of the Artemis program will kick off a phase of NASA space exploration that intends to land diverse astronaut crews at previously unexplored regions of the moon – on the Artemis II and Artemis III missions, slated for 2024 and 2025 respectively – and eventually delivers crewed missions to Mars.
PP
Re: SLS Roll-out
We were in Florida when the last Shuttle mission was on the pad. That's not primarily while we were there, although we did tour the Kennedy Space Centre and got pictures of it. Of course the launch was delayed, and eventually went up the afternoon of the day we landed back in the UK, so we got to watch it on TV at home.
Re: SLS Roll-out
Thread needs a name change to SLS Roll-in, they don't appear to be having much luck with lift-off. 
Re: SLS Roll-out
NASA schedules new Artemis launch attempt for Sept. 27
Officials confirmed Monday that repairs are still underway to address hydrogen fuel leaks in the uncrewed Space Launch System rocket that thwarted two previous liftoff attempts.
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/n ... -rcna47467
NASA will try again to launch its next-generation megarocket and space capsule to the moon later this month, with a new attempt set for Sept. 27.
Agency officials confirmed Monday that repairs are still underway to address hydrogen fuel leaks in the uncrewed Space Launch System rocket that thwarted two previous liftoff attempts. Teams are expected to conduct a key test of the fueling process Sept. 21, in the hopes of demonstrating that the leaks have been plugged.
If successful, NASA will aim to launch the moon-bound mission, known as Artemis I, within a 70-minute window that opens at 11:37 a.m. ET, Sept. 27.
The long-awaited debut of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule features a nearly six-week test flight to orbit the moon. The expedition is designed to assess the performance of the rocket and capsule before NASA sends astronauts back to the lunar surface.
Agency officials said they are also reviewing a potential backup launch opportunity Oct. 2. Beyond that, teams have to navigate around a planned launch of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket Oct. 3 that will take two NASA astronauts, one Japanese astronaut and one Russian cosmonaut to the International Space Station.
"Teams are working the upcoming commercial crew launch in parallel to the Artemis I planning and both launch schedules will continue to be assessed over the coming weeks," the agency said in a blog post.
NASA's two previous tries to get the Artemis I mission off the ground — once Aug. 29 and another Sept. 3 — were called off after issues arose as the rocket was being loaded with propellant.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has said that safety remains the top priority, particularly because the SLS rocket and Orion capsule will eventually fly with astronauts onboard.
As part of the Artemis program, NASA envisions regular missions to the moon to establish a base camp on the lunar surface, before the agency eventually ventures to Mars.
After Artemis I, the agency is planning a subsequent test flight that will launch four astronauts in the Orion spacecraft on an expedition around the moon. That journey, known as Artemis II, could take place in 2024. If all goes well, NASA could send a crew to the lunar surface as early as 2025. The last time humans walked on the moon was in 1972, during NASA's Apollo program.
PP
Officials confirmed Monday that repairs are still underway to address hydrogen fuel leaks in the uncrewed Space Launch System rocket that thwarted two previous liftoff attempts.
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/n ... -rcna47467
NASA will try again to launch its next-generation megarocket and space capsule to the moon later this month, with a new attempt set for Sept. 27.
Agency officials confirmed Monday that repairs are still underway to address hydrogen fuel leaks in the uncrewed Space Launch System rocket that thwarted two previous liftoff attempts. Teams are expected to conduct a key test of the fueling process Sept. 21, in the hopes of demonstrating that the leaks have been plugged.
If successful, NASA will aim to launch the moon-bound mission, known as Artemis I, within a 70-minute window that opens at 11:37 a.m. ET, Sept. 27.
The long-awaited debut of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule features a nearly six-week test flight to orbit the moon. The expedition is designed to assess the performance of the rocket and capsule before NASA sends astronauts back to the lunar surface.
Agency officials said they are also reviewing a potential backup launch opportunity Oct. 2. Beyond that, teams have to navigate around a planned launch of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket Oct. 3 that will take two NASA astronauts, one Japanese astronaut and one Russian cosmonaut to the International Space Station.
"Teams are working the upcoming commercial crew launch in parallel to the Artemis I planning and both launch schedules will continue to be assessed over the coming weeks," the agency said in a blog post.
NASA's two previous tries to get the Artemis I mission off the ground — once Aug. 29 and another Sept. 3 — were called off after issues arose as the rocket was being loaded with propellant.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has said that safety remains the top priority, particularly because the SLS rocket and Orion capsule will eventually fly with astronauts onboard.
As part of the Artemis program, NASA envisions regular missions to the moon to establish a base camp on the lunar surface, before the agency eventually ventures to Mars.
After Artemis I, the agency is planning a subsequent test flight that will launch four astronauts in the Orion spacecraft on an expedition around the moon. That journey, known as Artemis II, could take place in 2024. If all goes well, NASA could send a crew to the lunar surface as early as 2025. The last time humans walked on the moon was in 1972, during NASA's Apollo program.
PP
Re: SLS Roll-out
NASA’s Artemis I mega moon rocket prepares for prelaunch test (again!)
Not holding my breath on passing the test, much less making it to actual launch.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/19/world/na ... index.html
The Artemis I mega moon rocket is gearing up for another test Wednesday before its next launch attempt to journey around the moon and back.
The mission team is aiming to begin the Artemis I cryogenic demonstration test at 7:15 a.m. ET on Wednesday, and NASA will share live coverage on its website. The Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft continue to sit on the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Since the second scrubbed launch attempt of the uncrewed Artemis I mission on September 3, engineers have replaced two seals on an interface for the liquid hydrogen fuel line between the rocket and mobile launcher, according to NASA officials. These seals were associated with a large hydrogen leak that led to the scrub of the launch attempt.
NASA is scheduled to launch Artemis I today starting at 2:17pm, after the first attempt was scrubbed due to an engine issue. The mission will carry the unmanned Orion space capsule into the moon's orbit in an effort to return humans to the moon and eventually land crewed missions on Mars.
Artemis I lunar mission has new date for next launch attempt
When engineers replaced the seal on an 8-inch (20-centeimeter) quick disconnect line for hydrogen, they found a “witness marker,” or indentation on the seal associated with foreign object debris, said Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager, at a Monday NASA press conference.
The team did not recover any piece of debris, but the dent was clear and pointed to a problem that contributed to the hydrogen leak, Sarafin said.
The indentation was under 0.01 inch (0.3 millimeter), but it allows pressurized gas to leak through, something that can be very dangerous given the flammability of hydrogen. The team believes the dent is associated with the leak, but the results of the test could confirm it.
On September 3, the large hydrogen leak was between two and three times the accepted limit, Sarafin said.
Testing ‘kinder’ procedures
The purpose of the cryogenic demonstration is to test the seals and use updated, “kinder and gentler” loading procedures of the supercold propellant, which is what the rocket would experience on launch day.
Unlike the wet dress rehearsals, the previous tests of Artemis I that simulated every stage leading up to launch, the cryo test focuses on a very specific aspect in the countdown: loading supercold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into the rocket’s core stage and upper stage.
The Orion spacecraft and rocket boosters will remain unpowered during the test, and the team does not intend to go into terminal count, or the final 10 minutes that occur in the countdown before launch, said Jeremy Parsons, deputy manager for NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program at Kennedy Space Center.
The kinder and gentler loading procedure is to minimize pressure spikes and thermal spikes witnessed during prior launch attempts. To achieve this, the team will slowly bring up the pressure on the liquid hydrogen storage tank. The slower procedure is estimated to add no more than 30 minutes to the process, Parsons said.
Artemis I due to a hydrogen leak issue. The earliest they might try for another launch would be late September.
Here's why it's taking NASA so long to attempt another Artemis I launch
“It’s going to be a very slow, steady ramp,” Parsons said. “So (we’re) really just trying to slowly introduce some of those thermal differences and reduce thermal and pressure shock.”
Liquid oxygen is relatively dense, about the density of water, and it is pumped into the rocket. Meanwhile, hydrogen is very light, so it is moved using pressure rather than being pumped, said Tom Whitmeyer, deputy associate administrator for NASA’s common exploration systems development.
The new loading operations will use a slower rate of pressure with more gradual temperature changes, Whitmeyer said.
The call to stations for the test, when all of the teams associated with the mission arrive at their consoles and report they’re ready, begins today at 3 p.m. ET. The mission team anticipates receiving a “go” to begin loading the rocket with propellant around 7 a.m. ET on Wednesday. If all goes well, the team expects the test to be completed by 3 p.m. ET that day, Parsons said.
The test will also include an engine bleed, which chills the engines for launch. The mission team scrubbed the first Artemis I launch attempt on August 29 largely due to an issue with a faulty sensor that occurred during this bleed.
So far, the forecast looks promising for the test. The Artemis team is receiving daily briefings about Hurricane Fiona in case it has any impact on whether or not the rocket stack needs to be rolled back into the Vehicle Assembly Building, a process that can take three days.
Preparing for launch
If the cryo test goes well, the next launch attempt could take place on Tuesday, September 27, with a 70-minute window that opens at 11:37 a.m. ET. The mission managers will meet to discuss the test results on September 25 to assess the potential launch date.
If Artemis I launches on that day, it would go on a 39-day mission and return to Earth on November 5. Another backup launch date is possible on October 2. While these launch dates are recommended by NASA, the team ultimately depends on a decision by the US Space Force, which would need to issue a waiver for the launch.
The US Space Force, an arm of the military, still oversees all rocket launches from the United States’ East Coast, including NASA’s Florida launch site, and that area is known as the Eastern Range.
The mission will carry the unmanned Orion space capsule into the moon's orbit in an effort to return humans to the moon and eventually land crewed missions on Mars.
Artemis I's next launch attempt may not happen until later this year
The officials at the range are tasked with making sure there’s no risk to people or property with any launch attempt.
The Artemis team continues to have “productive and collaborative” discussions with the Eastern Range, and NASA is sharing additional detailed information requested by the Space Force for review.
The team is taking things one step at a time and wants to get through the test before other decisions are made, Whitmeyer said.
“We’re going to go when we’re ready,” Sarafin said. “But in terms of the reward of flying this flight, we have said from the outset that this is the first in increasingly complex series of missions, and it is a purposeful stress test of the rocket.”
The inaugural mission of the Artemis program will kick off a phase of NASA space exploration that intends to land diverse astronaut crews at previously unexplored regions of the moon – on the Artemis II and Artemis III missions, slated for 2024 and 2025 respectively – and eventually deliver crewed missions to Mars.
PP
Not holding my breath on passing the test, much less making it to actual launch.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/19/world/na ... index.html
The Artemis I mega moon rocket is gearing up for another test Wednesday before its next launch attempt to journey around the moon and back.
The mission team is aiming to begin the Artemis I cryogenic demonstration test at 7:15 a.m. ET on Wednesday, and NASA will share live coverage on its website. The Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft continue to sit on the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Since the second scrubbed launch attempt of the uncrewed Artemis I mission on September 3, engineers have replaced two seals on an interface for the liquid hydrogen fuel line between the rocket and mobile launcher, according to NASA officials. These seals were associated with a large hydrogen leak that led to the scrub of the launch attempt.
NASA is scheduled to launch Artemis I today starting at 2:17pm, after the first attempt was scrubbed due to an engine issue. The mission will carry the unmanned Orion space capsule into the moon's orbit in an effort to return humans to the moon and eventually land crewed missions on Mars.
Artemis I lunar mission has new date for next launch attempt
When engineers replaced the seal on an 8-inch (20-centeimeter) quick disconnect line for hydrogen, they found a “witness marker,” or indentation on the seal associated with foreign object debris, said Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager, at a Monday NASA press conference.
The team did not recover any piece of debris, but the dent was clear and pointed to a problem that contributed to the hydrogen leak, Sarafin said.
The indentation was under 0.01 inch (0.3 millimeter), but it allows pressurized gas to leak through, something that can be very dangerous given the flammability of hydrogen. The team believes the dent is associated with the leak, but the results of the test could confirm it.
On September 3, the large hydrogen leak was between two and three times the accepted limit, Sarafin said.
Testing ‘kinder’ procedures
The purpose of the cryogenic demonstration is to test the seals and use updated, “kinder and gentler” loading procedures of the supercold propellant, which is what the rocket would experience on launch day.
Unlike the wet dress rehearsals, the previous tests of Artemis I that simulated every stage leading up to launch, the cryo test focuses on a very specific aspect in the countdown: loading supercold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into the rocket’s core stage and upper stage.
The Orion spacecraft and rocket boosters will remain unpowered during the test, and the team does not intend to go into terminal count, or the final 10 minutes that occur in the countdown before launch, said Jeremy Parsons, deputy manager for NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program at Kennedy Space Center.
The kinder and gentler loading procedure is to minimize pressure spikes and thermal spikes witnessed during prior launch attempts. To achieve this, the team will slowly bring up the pressure on the liquid hydrogen storage tank. The slower procedure is estimated to add no more than 30 minutes to the process, Parsons said.
Artemis I due to a hydrogen leak issue. The earliest they might try for another launch would be late September.
Here's why it's taking NASA so long to attempt another Artemis I launch
“It’s going to be a very slow, steady ramp,” Parsons said. “So (we’re) really just trying to slowly introduce some of those thermal differences and reduce thermal and pressure shock.”
Liquid oxygen is relatively dense, about the density of water, and it is pumped into the rocket. Meanwhile, hydrogen is very light, so it is moved using pressure rather than being pumped, said Tom Whitmeyer, deputy associate administrator for NASA’s common exploration systems development.
The new loading operations will use a slower rate of pressure with more gradual temperature changes, Whitmeyer said.
The call to stations for the test, when all of the teams associated with the mission arrive at their consoles and report they’re ready, begins today at 3 p.m. ET. The mission team anticipates receiving a “go” to begin loading the rocket with propellant around 7 a.m. ET on Wednesday. If all goes well, the team expects the test to be completed by 3 p.m. ET that day, Parsons said.
The test will also include an engine bleed, which chills the engines for launch. The mission team scrubbed the first Artemis I launch attempt on August 29 largely due to an issue with a faulty sensor that occurred during this bleed.
So far, the forecast looks promising for the test. The Artemis team is receiving daily briefings about Hurricane Fiona in case it has any impact on whether or not the rocket stack needs to be rolled back into the Vehicle Assembly Building, a process that can take three days.
Preparing for launch
If the cryo test goes well, the next launch attempt could take place on Tuesday, September 27, with a 70-minute window that opens at 11:37 a.m. ET. The mission managers will meet to discuss the test results on September 25 to assess the potential launch date.
If Artemis I launches on that day, it would go on a 39-day mission and return to Earth on November 5. Another backup launch date is possible on October 2. While these launch dates are recommended by NASA, the team ultimately depends on a decision by the US Space Force, which would need to issue a waiver for the launch.
The US Space Force, an arm of the military, still oversees all rocket launches from the United States’ East Coast, including NASA’s Florida launch site, and that area is known as the Eastern Range.
The mission will carry the unmanned Orion space capsule into the moon's orbit in an effort to return humans to the moon and eventually land crewed missions on Mars.
Artemis I's next launch attempt may not happen until later this year
The officials at the range are tasked with making sure there’s no risk to people or property with any launch attempt.
The Artemis team continues to have “productive and collaborative” discussions with the Eastern Range, and NASA is sharing additional detailed information requested by the Space Force for review.
The team is taking things one step at a time and wants to get through the test before other decisions are made, Whitmeyer said.
“We’re going to go when we’re ready,” Sarafin said. “But in terms of the reward of flying this flight, we have said from the outset that this is the first in increasingly complex series of missions, and it is a purposeful stress test of the rocket.”
The inaugural mission of the Artemis program will kick off a phase of NASA space exploration that intends to land diverse astronaut crews at previously unexplored regions of the moon – on the Artemis II and Artemis III missions, slated for 2024 and 2025 respectively – and eventually deliver crewed missions to Mars.
PP
Re: SLS Roll-out
NASA engineers encounter leak during Artemis I test
I am absolutely shocked
at this news. Not! 
https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/21/world/na ... index.html
A crucial fueling test for the Artemis I mega moon rocket has experienced some ups and downs Wednesday, which could determine when the mission launches on a journey around the moon and back. Now, the launch team is determining the next steps.
NASA engineers detected a liquid hydrogen leak during Wednesday’s test that has “the same signature” as a leak that prevented the September 3 launch attempt. However, their troubleshooting efforts allowed the team to manage the leak.
Meanwhile, the team was able to completely fill the core stage with liquid oxygen and completed an engine bleed test, which conditions the four engines and brings their temperature down prior to launch. The mission team scrubbed the first Artemis I launch attempt on August 29 largely due to an issue with a faulty sensor that occurred during the bleed.
NASA is providing live coverage of the test on its website.
The Artemis I cryogenic demonstration test began with fueling at 7:30 a.m. ET Wednesday. The Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft continue to sit on the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Artemis team members were slowly filling the core stage of the rocket with supercold liquid hydrogen, but they stopped shortly after 10 a.m. ET due to the detection of the hydrogen leak. The leak is in the same area as a recently repaired quick disconnect line, and it occurred at the same moment when the team encountered issues before: as the liquid hydrogen was transitioning from slowly filling the rocket to a faster fill.
As soon as the team stopped the flow of liquid hydrogen, the 7% leak rate came down. The launch team let the line warm up in the hopes that when they resumed the flow of liquid hydrogen, it would restore the connection and cure the leak.
The team reduced the pressure in the storage tank and as they began flowing liquid hydrogen again, they very slowly increased the pressure.
Now, the team has resumed fast fill of liquid hydrogen into the rocket’s core stage. While a small hydrogen leak remains, it is below the threshold for concern. Engineers will increase the pressure and monitor the rate of the leak. They want to gather data to see at which point the leak shifts in response to the pressure change. If the leak rate reaches 10%, they will stop flowing liquid hydrogen again.
Since the second scrubbed launch attempt of the uncrewed Artemis I mission on September 3, engineers have replaced two seals on an interface for the liquid hydrogen fuel line between the rocket and mobile launcher, according to NASA officials. These seals were associated with a large hydrogen leak that led to the scrub of the launch attempt.
The mission will carry the unmanned Orion space capsule into the moon's orbit in an effort to return humans to the moon and eventually land crewed missions on Mars.
Artemis I lunar mission has new date for next launch attempt
When engineers replaced the seal on an 8-inch (20-centimeter) quick disconnect line for hydrogen, they found an indentation, said Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager, at a Monday NASA press conference.
The indentation was under 0.01 inch (0.3 millimeter), but it allows pressurized gas to leak through, something that can be very dangerous given the flammability of hydrogen when it meets air. The team believes the dent is associated with the leak, but the results of the test could confirm it.
Testing ‘kinder’ procedures
The purpose of the cryogenic demonstration is to test the seals and use updated, “kinder and gentler” loading procedures of the supercold propellant, which is what the rocket would experience on launch day.
Unlike the wet dress rehearsals, the previous tests of Artemis I that simulated every stage leading up to launch, the cryo test focuses on a very specific aspect in the countdown: loading supercold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into the rocket’s core stage and upper stage.
The Orion spacecraft and rocket boosters will remain unpowered during the test, and the team does not intend to go into terminal count, or the final 10 minutes that occur in the countdown before launch, said Jeremy Parsons, deputy manager for NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program at Kennedy Space Center.
The kinder and gentler loading procedure is to minimize pressure spikes and thermal spikes witnessed during prior launch attempts. To achieve this, the team will slowly bring up the pressure on the liquid hydrogen storage tank. The slower procedure is estimated to add no more than 30 minutes to the process, Parsons said.
Artemis I due to a hydrogen leak issue. The earliest they might try for another launch would be late September.
Here's why it's taking NASA so long to attempt another Artemis I launch
“It’s going to be a very slow, steady ramp,” Parsons said. “So (we’re) really just trying to slowly introduce some of those thermal differences and reduce thermal and pressure shock.”
Liquid oxygen is relatively dense, about the density of water, and it is pumped into the rocket. Meanwhile, hydrogen is very light, so it is moved using pressure rather than being pumped, said Tom Whitmeyer, deputy associate administrator for NASA’s common exploration systems development.
The new loading operations use a slower rate of pressure with more gradual temperature changes, Whitmeyer said.
After both liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen reach the replenishing phase – because some of the supercold propellant boils off – the team will conduct a pre-pressurization test.
“The test will bring the liquid hydrogen tank up to the pressure level it will experience just before launch while engineers calibrate the settings for conditioning the engines at a higher flow rate, as will be done during the terminal count,” according to NASA officials. “Performing the pressurization test during the demonstration will enable teams to dial-in the necessary settings and validate timelines before launch day, reducing schedule risk during the launch countdown.”
Preparing for launch
If the cryo test goes well, the next launch attempt could take place on Tuesday, September 27, with a 70-minute window that opens at 11:37 a.m. ET. The mission managers will meet to discuss the test results on September 25 to assess the potential launch date.
The Artemis team is receiving daily briefings about Hurricane Fiona in case it has any impact on whether or not the rocket stack needs to be rolled back into the Vehicle Assembly Building, a process that can take three days.
If Artemis I launches on September 27, it would go on a 39-day mission and return to Earth on November 5. Another backup launch date is possible on October 2. While these launch dates are recommended by NASA, the team ultimately depends on a decision by the US Space Force, which would need to issue a waiver for the launch.
The US Space Force, an arm of the military, still oversees all rocket launches from the United States’ East Coast, including NASA’s Florida launch site, and that area is known as the Eastern Range.
. The mission will carry the unmanned Orion space capsule into the moon's orbit in an effort to return humans to the moon and eventually land crewed missions on Mars.
Artemis I's next launch attempt may not happen until later this year
The officials at the range are tasked with making sure there’s no risk to people or property with any launch attempt.
The Artemis team continues to have “productive and collaborative” discussions with the Eastern Range, and NASA is sharing additional detailed information requested by the Space Force for review.
“We’re going to go when we’re ready,” Sarafin said. “But in terms of the reward of flying this flight, we have said from the outset that this is the first in an increasingly complex series of missions, and it is a purposeful stress test of the rocket.”
The inaugural mission of the Artemis program will kick off a phase of NASA space exploration that intends to land diverse astronaut crews at previously unexplored regions of the moon – on the Artemis II and Artemis III missions, slated for 2024 and 2025, respectively – and eventually deliver crewed missions to Mars.
The agency released on Tuesday an updated version of its “Moon to Mars” objectives, which lays out a blueprint for solar system exploration.
“We’re helping to steward humanity’s global movement to deep space,” said Jim Free, NASA’s associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, in a statement.
“The objectives will help ensure a long-term strategy for solar system exploration can retain constancy of purpose and weather political and funding changes.”
PP
I am absolutely shocked
at this news. Not! https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/21/world/na ... index.html
A crucial fueling test for the Artemis I mega moon rocket has experienced some ups and downs Wednesday, which could determine when the mission launches on a journey around the moon and back. Now, the launch team is determining the next steps.
NASA engineers detected a liquid hydrogen leak during Wednesday’s test that has “the same signature” as a leak that prevented the September 3 launch attempt. However, their troubleshooting efforts allowed the team to manage the leak.
Meanwhile, the team was able to completely fill the core stage with liquid oxygen and completed an engine bleed test, which conditions the four engines and brings their temperature down prior to launch. The mission team scrubbed the first Artemis I launch attempt on August 29 largely due to an issue with a faulty sensor that occurred during the bleed.
NASA is providing live coverage of the test on its website.
The Artemis I cryogenic demonstration test began with fueling at 7:30 a.m. ET Wednesday. The Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft continue to sit on the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Artemis team members were slowly filling the core stage of the rocket with supercold liquid hydrogen, but they stopped shortly after 10 a.m. ET due to the detection of the hydrogen leak. The leak is in the same area as a recently repaired quick disconnect line, and it occurred at the same moment when the team encountered issues before: as the liquid hydrogen was transitioning from slowly filling the rocket to a faster fill.
As soon as the team stopped the flow of liquid hydrogen, the 7% leak rate came down. The launch team let the line warm up in the hopes that when they resumed the flow of liquid hydrogen, it would restore the connection and cure the leak.
The team reduced the pressure in the storage tank and as they began flowing liquid hydrogen again, they very slowly increased the pressure.
Now, the team has resumed fast fill of liquid hydrogen into the rocket’s core stage. While a small hydrogen leak remains, it is below the threshold for concern. Engineers will increase the pressure and monitor the rate of the leak. They want to gather data to see at which point the leak shifts in response to the pressure change. If the leak rate reaches 10%, they will stop flowing liquid hydrogen again.
Since the second scrubbed launch attempt of the uncrewed Artemis I mission on September 3, engineers have replaced two seals on an interface for the liquid hydrogen fuel line between the rocket and mobile launcher, according to NASA officials. These seals were associated with a large hydrogen leak that led to the scrub of the launch attempt.
The mission will carry the unmanned Orion space capsule into the moon's orbit in an effort to return humans to the moon and eventually land crewed missions on Mars.
Artemis I lunar mission has new date for next launch attempt
When engineers replaced the seal on an 8-inch (20-centimeter) quick disconnect line for hydrogen, they found an indentation, said Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager, at a Monday NASA press conference.
The indentation was under 0.01 inch (0.3 millimeter), but it allows pressurized gas to leak through, something that can be very dangerous given the flammability of hydrogen when it meets air. The team believes the dent is associated with the leak, but the results of the test could confirm it.
Testing ‘kinder’ procedures
The purpose of the cryogenic demonstration is to test the seals and use updated, “kinder and gentler” loading procedures of the supercold propellant, which is what the rocket would experience on launch day.
Unlike the wet dress rehearsals, the previous tests of Artemis I that simulated every stage leading up to launch, the cryo test focuses on a very specific aspect in the countdown: loading supercold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into the rocket’s core stage and upper stage.
The Orion spacecraft and rocket boosters will remain unpowered during the test, and the team does not intend to go into terminal count, or the final 10 minutes that occur in the countdown before launch, said Jeremy Parsons, deputy manager for NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program at Kennedy Space Center.
The kinder and gentler loading procedure is to minimize pressure spikes and thermal spikes witnessed during prior launch attempts. To achieve this, the team will slowly bring up the pressure on the liquid hydrogen storage tank. The slower procedure is estimated to add no more than 30 minutes to the process, Parsons said.
Artemis I due to a hydrogen leak issue. The earliest they might try for another launch would be late September.
Here's why it's taking NASA so long to attempt another Artemis I launch
“It’s going to be a very slow, steady ramp,” Parsons said. “So (we’re) really just trying to slowly introduce some of those thermal differences and reduce thermal and pressure shock.”
Liquid oxygen is relatively dense, about the density of water, and it is pumped into the rocket. Meanwhile, hydrogen is very light, so it is moved using pressure rather than being pumped, said Tom Whitmeyer, deputy associate administrator for NASA’s common exploration systems development.
The new loading operations use a slower rate of pressure with more gradual temperature changes, Whitmeyer said.
After both liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen reach the replenishing phase – because some of the supercold propellant boils off – the team will conduct a pre-pressurization test.
“The test will bring the liquid hydrogen tank up to the pressure level it will experience just before launch while engineers calibrate the settings for conditioning the engines at a higher flow rate, as will be done during the terminal count,” according to NASA officials. “Performing the pressurization test during the demonstration will enable teams to dial-in the necessary settings and validate timelines before launch day, reducing schedule risk during the launch countdown.”
Preparing for launch
If the cryo test goes well, the next launch attempt could take place on Tuesday, September 27, with a 70-minute window that opens at 11:37 a.m. ET. The mission managers will meet to discuss the test results on September 25 to assess the potential launch date.
The Artemis team is receiving daily briefings about Hurricane Fiona in case it has any impact on whether or not the rocket stack needs to be rolled back into the Vehicle Assembly Building, a process that can take three days.
If Artemis I launches on September 27, it would go on a 39-day mission and return to Earth on November 5. Another backup launch date is possible on October 2. While these launch dates are recommended by NASA, the team ultimately depends on a decision by the US Space Force, which would need to issue a waiver for the launch.
The US Space Force, an arm of the military, still oversees all rocket launches from the United States’ East Coast, including NASA’s Florida launch site, and that area is known as the Eastern Range.
. The mission will carry the unmanned Orion space capsule into the moon's orbit in an effort to return humans to the moon and eventually land crewed missions on Mars.
Artemis I's next launch attempt may not happen until later this year
The officials at the range are tasked with making sure there’s no risk to people or property with any launch attempt.
The Artemis team continues to have “productive and collaborative” discussions with the Eastern Range, and NASA is sharing additional detailed information requested by the Space Force for review.
“We’re going to go when we’re ready,” Sarafin said. “But in terms of the reward of flying this flight, we have said from the outset that this is the first in an increasingly complex series of missions, and it is a purposeful stress test of the rocket.”
The inaugural mission of the Artemis program will kick off a phase of NASA space exploration that intends to land diverse astronaut crews at previously unexplored regions of the moon – on the Artemis II and Artemis III missions, slated for 2024 and 2025, respectively – and eventually deliver crewed missions to Mars.
The agency released on Tuesday an updated version of its “Moon to Mars” objectives, which lays out a blueprint for solar system exploration.
“We’re helping to steward humanity’s global movement to deep space,” said Jim Free, NASA’s associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, in a statement.
“The objectives will help ensure a long-term strategy for solar system exploration can retain constancy of purpose and weather political and funding changes.”
PP
Re: SLS Roll-out
Apparently all well in the end. Decision on launch on 27th due soon.
Re: SLS Roll-out
NASA waves off next Artemis I launch attempt due to tropical storm
https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/24/world/na ... index.html
The Artemis I rocket will not have its third launch attempt on Tuesday as planned due to concerns over Tropical Storm Ian making its way toward Cuba and Florida.
After meeting on Saturday morning, NASA’s Artemis team decided to forgo the September 27 launch opportunity and is now preparing the mega moon rocket stack for rollback.
“On Tuesday, Tropical Storm Ian is forecast to be moving north through the eastern Gulf of Mexico as a hurricane, just off the southwest coast of Florida. A cold front will also be draped across northern Florida pushing south,” said CNN Meteorologist Haley Brink.
“The combination of these weather factors will allow for increased rain chances across much of the Florida peninsula on Tuesday, including the Cape Canaveral area. Showers and thunderstorms are forecast to be numerous and widespread across the region. Tropical storm-force winds from Ian could also arrive as early as Tuesday night across central Florida.”
Meanwhile, the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft continue to sit on the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA team members will meet Monday to determine when to roll the rocket stack back into the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy. The agency said managers met Sunday evening to review information from the US Space Force, the National Hurricane Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and decided to allow for additional overnight data gathering before they make the call.
Tropical Storm Ian strengthens in the Caribbean and tracks toward Florida
The preparations can shorten the typically three-day process it takes to roll the spacecraft back inside. And once the vehicle is rolling on the slow moving crawler transport, it can take 10 hours or more.
The rocket stack can remain at the pad and withstand winds up to 85 miles per hour (74.1 knots). If the stack needs to roll back into the building, it can handle sustained winds less than 46 miles per hour (40 knots).
On Friday, the Artemis team said that October 2 was a backup launch date. But it’s unlikely that a new launch date will be set until the rollback decision has been made.
“The agency is taking a step-wise approach to its decision making process to allow the agency to protect its employees by completing a safe roll in time for them to address the needs of their families while also protecting for the option to press ahead with another launch opportunity in the current window if weather predictions improve,” according to a NASA release.
Concerns over the weather system forming in the Caribbean put the weather conditions at only 20% favorable for a launch, according to a forecast released by the US Space Force on Friday.
Constraints on the launch require that the Artemis I mission does not fly through any precipitation. The launch constraints are designed to avoid natural and rocket-triggered lightning strikes to in-flight rockets, which could cause damage to the rocket and endanger public safety, according to the Space Force.
Rocket-triggered lightning forms when a large rocket flies through a strong enough atmospheric electric field, so a cloud that is not producing natural lightning could still cause rocket-triggered lightning, according to the Space Force.
PP
https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/24/world/na ... index.html
The Artemis I rocket will not have its third launch attempt on Tuesday as planned due to concerns over Tropical Storm Ian making its way toward Cuba and Florida.
After meeting on Saturday morning, NASA’s Artemis team decided to forgo the September 27 launch opportunity and is now preparing the mega moon rocket stack for rollback.
“On Tuesday, Tropical Storm Ian is forecast to be moving north through the eastern Gulf of Mexico as a hurricane, just off the southwest coast of Florida. A cold front will also be draped across northern Florida pushing south,” said CNN Meteorologist Haley Brink.
“The combination of these weather factors will allow for increased rain chances across much of the Florida peninsula on Tuesday, including the Cape Canaveral area. Showers and thunderstorms are forecast to be numerous and widespread across the region. Tropical storm-force winds from Ian could also arrive as early as Tuesday night across central Florida.”
Meanwhile, the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft continue to sit on the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA team members will meet Monday to determine when to roll the rocket stack back into the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy. The agency said managers met Sunday evening to review information from the US Space Force, the National Hurricane Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and decided to allow for additional overnight data gathering before they make the call.
Tropical Storm Ian strengthens in the Caribbean and tracks toward Florida
The preparations can shorten the typically three-day process it takes to roll the spacecraft back inside. And once the vehicle is rolling on the slow moving crawler transport, it can take 10 hours or more.
The rocket stack can remain at the pad and withstand winds up to 85 miles per hour (74.1 knots). If the stack needs to roll back into the building, it can handle sustained winds less than 46 miles per hour (40 knots).
On Friday, the Artemis team said that October 2 was a backup launch date. But it’s unlikely that a new launch date will be set until the rollback decision has been made.
“The agency is taking a step-wise approach to its decision making process to allow the agency to protect its employees by completing a safe roll in time for them to address the needs of their families while also protecting for the option to press ahead with another launch opportunity in the current window if weather predictions improve,” according to a NASA release.
Concerns over the weather system forming in the Caribbean put the weather conditions at only 20% favorable for a launch, according to a forecast released by the US Space Force on Friday.
Constraints on the launch require that the Artemis I mission does not fly through any precipitation. The launch constraints are designed to avoid natural and rocket-triggered lightning strikes to in-flight rockets, which could cause damage to the rocket and endanger public safety, according to the Space Force.
Rocket-triggered lightning forms when a large rocket flies through a strong enough atmospheric electric field, so a cloud that is not producing natural lightning could still cause rocket-triggered lightning, according to the Space Force.
PP
Re: SLS Roll-out
Do we know if it survived the storm intact?
Re: SLS Roll-out
They rolled it back in to the VAB.
Went against the prevailing storm track to their credit.
PP
Went against the prevailing storm track to their credit.
PP
Re: SLS Roll-out
It was the VAB I was asking about.
-
TheGreenAnger
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Re: SLS Roll-out
Interesting video..
- WikiThe most extensive exterior damage occurred during the storm season of 2004, when Hurricane Frances blew off 850 14-by-6-foot (4.3 m × 1.8 m) aluminum panels from the building, resulting in about 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2) of new openings in the sides. Twenty-five additional panels were blown off the east side by the winds from Hurricane Jeanne just three weeks later. Earlier in the season, Hurricane Charley caused significant but less serious damage, estimated to cost $700,000. Damage caused by these hurricanes was still visible in 2007. Some of these panels are "punch-outs", designed to detach from the VAB when a large pressure differential is created on the outside vs. the inside. This allows for equalization, and helps protect the structural integrity of the building during rapid changes in pressure such as in tropical cyclones.
My necessaries are embark'd: farewell. Adieu! I have too grieved a heart to take a tedious leave.
Re: SLS Roll-out
I know about the 'preps' - I am asking if it blew over 
-
TheGreenAnger
- Chief Pilot
- Posts: 3286
- Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2022 11:40 pm
- Location: Unfashionable end of the Western Spiral
Re: SLS Roll-out
I know that, (ek kan Engels lees) I was just trying to give some interesting background!
My necessaries are embark'd: farewell. Adieu! I have too grieved a heart to take a tedious leave.
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TheGreenAnger
- Chief Pilot
- Posts: 3286
- Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2022 11:40 pm
- Location: Unfashionable end of the Western Spiral
Re: SLS Roll-out
https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/09/28/h ... -ksc-live/
NASA says Kennedy Space Center's damage assessment team has cleared most of the spaceport's large operational facilities with minimal damage reported. Other facilities will be assessed tomorrow, and employees will return to work Friday.
Derrol Nail, a NASA spokesperson who was on the ride out team at Kennedy during the storm, said the space center had a peak wind gust of 108 mph, or 94 knots, measured at the 457 foot level of a lightning tower at Launch Complex 39B, where the Artemis 1 moon rocket was standing before rolling back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for shelter from Hurricane Ian. Closer to ground level, the peak sustained winds were 51 mph (44 knots), with gusts to 66 mph (57 knots), at a weather station positioned 30 feet above ground level at the Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy.
The storm has restrengthened to a hurricane after the center of circulation passed directly over Kennedy Space Center earlier today. It's now taking aim on the Carolinas.
My necessaries are embark'd: farewell. Adieu! I have too grieved a heart to take a tedious leave.
Re: SLS Roll-out
Phew!
Re: SLS Roll-out
NASA looks to launch Artemis test flight again on Nov. 14
A stubborn fuel leak and the arrival of Hurricane Ian forced NASA to delay the launch of the uncrewed test flight over the last five weeks.
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/n ... -rcna51935
NASA is targeting Nov. 14 for its next attempt to launch Artemis I, the space agency said on Wednesday, after technical difficulties and bad weather forced it to delay the first uncrewed test flight of a capsule to carry humans back to the moon.
The next attempt to launch the Space Launch System rocket that will carry the Orion spacecraft is planned during a 69-minute window that opens at 12:07 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Nov. 14, NASA said on its website. The agency plans to roll the rocket back to the launch pad as early as Friday, Nov. 4.
A stubborn fuel leak and the arrival of Hurricane Ian forced NASA to delay the launch of the uncrewed test flight over the last five weeks.
The Artemis I mission signals a major turning point for NASA’s post-Apollo human spaceflight program, after decades of focusing on low-orbit missions with space shuttles and the International Space Station.
Named for the goddess who was Apollo’s twin sister in ancient Greek mythology, Artemis aims to return astronauts to the moon’s surface as early as 2025, though many experts believe that time frame will likely slip.
PP
A stubborn fuel leak and the arrival of Hurricane Ian forced NASA to delay the launch of the uncrewed test flight over the last five weeks.
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/n ... -rcna51935
NASA is targeting Nov. 14 for its next attempt to launch Artemis I, the space agency said on Wednesday, after technical difficulties and bad weather forced it to delay the first uncrewed test flight of a capsule to carry humans back to the moon.
The next attempt to launch the Space Launch System rocket that will carry the Orion spacecraft is planned during a 69-minute window that opens at 12:07 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Nov. 14, NASA said on its website. The agency plans to roll the rocket back to the launch pad as early as Friday, Nov. 4.
A stubborn fuel leak and the arrival of Hurricane Ian forced NASA to delay the launch of the uncrewed test flight over the last five weeks.
The Artemis I mission signals a major turning point for NASA’s post-Apollo human spaceflight program, after decades of focusing on low-orbit missions with space shuttles and the International Space Station.
Named for the goddess who was Apollo’s twin sister in ancient Greek mythology, Artemis aims to return astronauts to the moon’s surface as early as 2025, though many experts believe that time frame will likely slip.
PP