Space enthusiasts may have to wait for a while to witness the highly-awaited launch of NASA’s Artemis 1. NASA has scrubbed the launch of this rocket for the second time. This time, a hydrogen leak became the reason for the delay.
According to NASA, the team noticed the leak when the rocket was being fueled with liquid hydrogen. The space agency tweeted – “During tanking of the Artemis I mission, a leak developed in the supply side of the 8-inch quick disconnect while attempting to transfer fuel to the rocket. Attempts to fix it so far have been unsuccessful. Stand by for updates.”
The NASA team made three attempts to fix the issue, however, they have all been unsuccessful. The space agency had no other option than to give a “no go” to the launch mission. It is anticipated that the launch will now be pushed to late September.
Talking about the delay, Astronaut Victor Glover said – “This is not a letdown. This is understanding how these things work, these really incredibly complex machines that we want to try to integrate human beings in.”
The space agency had also canceled its first launch attempt on August 29 due to problems with the engine bleed system.
Artemis 1 was designed to launch the uncrewed Orion crew capsule around the Moon. With Artemis 1, NASA is trying its Space Launch System (SLS) – the agency’s most powerful rocket to date. The space agency’s goal is to return astronauts to the moon by 2025.
