NASA Scrubs Artemis I Wet Dress Rehearsal – Here’s What Happened

Artemis I SLS Wet Dress Rehearsal

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop a mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B, Sunday, April 3, 2022, as the Artemis I launch team conducts the wet dress rehearsal test at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ahead of NASA’s Artemis I flight test, the wet dress rehearsal will run the Artemis I launch team through operations to load propellant, conduct a full launch countdown, demonstrate the ability to recycle the countdown clock, and drain the tanks to practice timelines and procedures for launch. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

Teams have decided to scrub tanking operations for the wet dress rehearsal due to loss of ability to pressurize the mobile launcher. The fans are needed to provide positive pressure to the enclosed areas within the mobile launcher and keep out hazardous gases. Technicians are unable to safely proceed with loading the propellants into the rocket’s core stage and interim cryogenic propulsion stage without this capability.

Teams will now meet to determine next steps and establish a go forward plan. The next opportunity to proceed into tanking is Monday, April 4. Teams will discuss range and commodity availability as part of the forward plan.

Previous Update: NASA Artemis I Wet Dress Rehearsal Update: Go for Proceed for Tanking

Schedule: NASA Artemis I Wet Dress Rehearsal Preparations Underway

2 Comments on "NASA Scrubs Artemis I Wet Dress Rehearsal – Here’s What Happened"

  1. Interesting Heavy Lift.

    1. Every step has to be such as to achieve 100 percent certainty in absolute terms to ensure success of such missions.
    2. The likelihood of unintended consequences increases, when shortcuts are taken in such complex processes.
    3. With automation and ensuring robots are incharge, with human oversight and every parameter is exactly as required, the likelihood of success heads towards certainty.
    3. I am sure that all above is already knowm to the Scientists and experts at NASA and others in the Space Buisness. and is being practised.
    4. Explore other fuel optins which require less stringent monitoring and oversight for long term. However, ensure that we still have in place process and non-process oversight and monitoring, to assure suucessful liftoff and make it routine, even for heavy lift launches, like has already been achieved in Avaiation till date. Case in point Jumbo 787 and other
    un-named Heavy LIft Aircrat.

    Views expressed are personal and not binding on anyone.

  2. The “good old boy” contractor business model fails again. NASA will not stop until they murder a dozen more Astronauts.

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