After big setbacks, NASA fixing moon rocket leaks, eyeing another launch | Tech News

After big setbacks, NASA fixing moon rocket leaks, eyeing another launch

After the failed attempt to launch the Artemis -1, NASA is aiming for another launch attempt in September.

By:AP
| Updated on: Sep 10 2022, 10:02 IST
NASA: Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter makes astonishing discovery
NASA Artemis 1
1/6 The lunar pits found by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter have mild temperatures, drastically different from the extreme conditions on the surface of the Moon. The temperatures in these caves are nearly 17 degree Celsius almost at all times. (NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University)
NASA Artemis 1
2/6 NASA Moon recently tweeted, "Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter images of pits indicate that the Moon has caves. Could they become astronaut habitats? Scientists have discovered that parts of the pits are always about 63°F (17°C), differing from extreme temperatures at the Moon's surface". (NASA)
NASA Artemis 1
3/6 The surface temperatures on the Moon can go from an extremely high 127 degrees Celsius and as low as -173 degrees Celsius. "The pits, and caves to which they may lead, would make thermally stable sites for lunar exploration compared to areas at the Moon's surface, which heat up to 260 F (about 127 C) during the day and cool to minus 280 F (about minus 173 C) at night,” NASA Moon tweeted further. (NASA)
NASA Artemis 1
4/6 First discovered in 2009, these lunar pits could potentially be used as location for a first Moon Base. Not only are the temperatures moderate, but these pits could also provide protection against cosmic rays, solar radiation and micrometeorites, according to NASA. (AP)
NASA Artemis 1
5/6 LRO Project Scientist Noah Petro of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center said, “Lunar pits are a fascinating feature on the lunar surface. Knowing that they create a stable thermal environment helps us paint a picture of these unique lunar features and the prospect of one day exploring them.” (NASA)
image caption
6/6 The particular pit used to analyze the thermal properties by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter was in an area of the Moon known as the Mare Tranquillitatis. It is 100-meters deep and as wide as a football field. According to scientists, the overhang of the pit is responsible for creating shadows on the Moon and maintaining a temperature of nearly 17 degrees Celsius at all times. (NASA)
NASA Artemis 1
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NASA is now looking at a September date to launch its moon rocket, Artemis 1.  (AFP)

NASA is replacing leaky seals in its moon rocket at the pad in hopes of launching it on its first test flight by the end of this month.

Managers said Thursday they will conduct another test after the repairs to ensure all hydrogen fuel leaks are plugged. If that test goes well — and if the Space Force extends a flight safety waiver — then NASA could take another stab at launching the 322-foot rocket in late September. Otherwise, the rocket will return to the hangar for additional work, delaying liftoff until at least October.

A series of hydrogen fuel leaks and other problems halted back-to-back launch attempts last week.

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The Space Launch System rocket — the most powerful ever built by NASA — holds a crew capsule with three test dummies. The space agency wants to send the capsule into lunar orbit on a trial run, before putting astronauts on the next flight, in 2024. That around-the-moon mission would pave the way for the first human moon landing in 50 years, currently scheduled for 2025.

“We need to get the tanking test done and then we'll have to look at what is the realism and schedule" to make a launch attempt as early as Sept. 23, said Jim Free, who's in charge of NASA's exploration systems development.

To launch in late September, NASA needs the OK from the Space Force in Cape Canaveral, which oversees the rocket's self-destruct system. Batteries are needed to activate the system if the rocket veers off course toward populated areas. These batteries must be retested periodically, and that can only be done in the hangar. The military would have to extend the certification of those batteries by an extra two weeks or more to avoid moving the rocket back to the hangar.

But every time the rocket moves between the hangar and launch pad adds “routine wear and tear, and I don't want to do that" unless necessary, said chief engineer John Blevins. There already have been three trips to the pad this year for practice countdowns and, most recently, the thwarted launch attempts of Aug. 29 and Saturday.

Engineers are hopeful that replacing a pair of seals in the hydrogen fuel lines at the bottom of the rocket will take care of any lingering leaks.

As an extra precaution, the launch team plans “a kindler and gentler approach to tanking” during the final phase of the countdown, slowing the flow of fuel at times to reduce stress on the seals, according to Mike Bolger, a program manager.

“We're optimistic that we can knock this problem flat," he told reporters.

Running years late and billions over budget, NASA's new lunar exploration program is named Artemis after Apollo's twin sister in Greek mythology. Twelve astronauts walked on the moon back in the late 1960s and early 1970s during NASA's Apollo program.

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First Published Date: 10 Sep, 10:02 IST
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