The launch of NASA’s Artemis 1 test flight has been delayed after problems emerged

After months of testing, troubleshooting, and repairs, NASA ran into problems supplying its Lunar Rocket with its Space Launch System early Monday, forcing the agency to dismantle Planned launch From her Artemis 1 test flight – critical mission To send an unmanned Orion crew capsule on a 42-day mission beyond the moon and back.

The launch was originally planned for 8:33 AM EST, the opening of a two-hour window. The next launch opportunity will be on Friday, September 2, at 12:48 PM EST, if issues are resolved by then.

The countdown was halted overnight due to inclement weather and troubleshooting to resolve an apparent hydrogen leak, and 750,000 gallons of ultra-cold liquid oxygen and hydrogen fuel were loaded into the SLS core stage, paving the way for another 22,000 gallons pumping into the upper stage.

Artemis test flight 1 aims to Check missile capability To push the Orion capsules to Earth’s orbit and then to the Moon. Engineers will also test the ship’s myriad crew systems in deep space and ensure that the heat shield can protect the returning astronauts from the 5,000-degree return heat.

NASA plans to follow up on the unmanned Artemis 1 mission by launching four astronauts on a circular flight around the Moon in 2024, paving the way for the first astronaut to land in nearly 50 years when the first woman and next man step onto the surface in the 2025-2026 time frame .

But first, NASA must demonstrate that the rocket and capsule will work as planned — and that starts with the launch of Artemis 1.

Refueling was delayed 55 minutes due to storm and lightning approaching about 6 miles from Launch Pad 39B. The six-hour refueling operation began at about 1:13 a.m. only to be stopped by indications of hydrogen leakage near the area where the fuel lines enter the missile base.

During the transition from “slow filling” to a rate 10 times faster, the sensors detected higher than permissible concentrations of hydrogen, which indicates a leak somewhere in the system. After switching back to slow fill and enabling temperatures to equalize across the plumbing, a quick refill was done and this time, there were no issues.

Not yet determined: Case of a 4-inch quick disconnect coupling used to direct hydrogen to primary stage engines for cooling prior to ignition. NASA stated that three of the engines were properly adapted, but engine number 3 did not initially “see” the required flow rates. This led to further troubleshooting.

And if that wasn’t enough, an unusual streak of frost was spotted on the outside of the rocket’s core stage—a possible indication of a leak of some kind, a crack in the thermal insulation or another problem.

Backup release opportunities are available on September 2nd and 5th. But if the missile is not far from the platform by then, the SLS will have to be returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building for maintenance.

William Harwood

Bill Harwood has covered the US space program full-time since 1984, first as Cape Canaveral bureau chief for United Press International and now as a consultant for CBS News. He’s covered 129 Space Shuttle missions, every interplanetary flight since Voyager 2’s flyby of Neptune and dozens of commercial and military launches. Located at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Harwood is a devoted amateur astronomer and co-author of “Comm Check: The Final Flight of Shuttle Columbia.”