The 98-meter-long Space Launch System rocket is the most powerful ever built by NASA. It is poised to send an empty crew capsule into lunar orbit, half a century after NASA’s Apollo program landed 12 astronauts on the Moon. Astronauts could return to the Moon in a few years if this six-week test flight goes well. NASA officials warn, however, that the risks are high and the flight may be aborted.
Read more: The Artemis mission to the moon is considered a ‘stepping stone’ to Mars
Instead of the astronauts, three test dummies are strapped into the Orion capsule to measure vibration, acceleration and radiation, one of the greatest dangers to humans in deep space. The capsule alone has more than 1,000 sensors. Story continues below ad Officials said Sunday that neither the rocket nor the capsule were damaged during Saturday’s storm. Ground equipment was also unaffected. Five hits were confirmed, striking the 600-foot (183-meter) lightning protection towers surrounding the rocket at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The strikes were not strong enough to warrant large retests. “Clearly, the system worked as designed,” said Jeff Spaulding, NASA’s senior test manager. More storms were expected. Although forecasters gave an 80 percent chance of acceptable weather Monday morning, conditions were expected to worsen during the two-hour launch window. 2:14 NASA’s Artemis 1 moon lander prepares for lunar return NASA’s Artemis 1 moon lander will prepare for lunar return On the technical side, Spaulding said the team has been doing its best over the past few months to eliminate any lingering fuel leaks. A pair of countdown tests earlier this year prompted repairs to leaking valves and other faulty equipment. Engineers won’t know if all the fixes are good until a few hours before the scheduled takeoff. If Monday doesn’t work out, the next launch attempt will be on Friday. Story continues below ad After so many years of delays and setbacks, the launch team was excited to finally be so close to the inaugural flight of the Artemis moon exploration program, named after the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology. “We’re within 24 hours of launch right now, which is pretty amazing for where we are on this journey,” Spaulding told reporters. The next Artemis flight, as early as 2024, would see four astronauts fly around the moon. A landing could follow in 2025. NASA is targeting the unexplored south pole of the moon, where permanently shadowed craters are believed to hold ice that could be used by future crews. © 2022 The Canadian Press
