NASA has cleared the path for a critical pre-launch test of the Artemis 2 mission, targeting Thursday, Feb. 19, for a second wet dress rehearsal following the successful repair of ground support equipment.
Agency officials confirmed that engineers have replaced a faulty filter responsible for restricting propellant flow during a previous confidence test, setting the stage for a timeline that could see the four-person crew launch as early as March 6.
After replacing two seals around two fuelling lines on the theย tail service mast umbilicalย on the mobile launcher NASA proceeded to conduct a “confidence test” on Feb. 12. During that test another issue came up.
“During the test, teams encountered an issue with ground support equipment that reduced the flow of liquid hydrogen into the rocket. Teams were able to gain confidence in several key objectives of the test, and data was obtained at the core stage interfaces, taken at the same time in the test where they encountered a leak during the previous wet dress rehearsal. Engineers will purge the line over the weekend to ensure proper environmental conditions and inspect the ground support equipment before replacing a filter suspected to be the cause of the reduced flow.”
Engineers identified the suspected filter in the ground support equipment. Over the weekend of Feb. 14-15, teams successfully replaced this filter and reconnected the line to reestablish proper environmental conditions.
NASA is now confident in the system to proceed with another wet dress rehearsal. The “tanking day” (when they load propellant) is now targeted for Thursday, Feb. 19 with a four hour launch window. The approximate 50-hour countdown will begin today at 6:40 p.m. EST. The test will simulate a launch time of 8:30 p.m. EST on Feb. 19. The rehearsal will include two runs of the final 10 minutes (terminal count), practicing holds and recycling the countdown clock to simulate real-world scrub scenarios. The Artemis II crew will not participate, but closeout teams will practice sealing the Orion hatch.
A formal launch date will only be set after this rehearsal and subsequent data reviews.