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NASA has "scrubbed" the Artemis I launch as one of the four rockets in the Orion spacecraft had a mechanical issue. According to a NASA update, engineers are looking into the cause of the engine failure. The update read:
"Launch controllers were continuing to evaluate why a bleed test to get the RS-25 engines on the bottom of the core stage to the proper temperature range for liftoff was not successful, and ran out of time in the two-hour launch window... Engineers are continuing to gather additional data."
The word "scrubbed" means to cancel or abandon a project.
While NASA has not stated publicly whether it will stick to its previous plans, the next launch date is set for Friday, September 2, 2022. It was previously reported that if the August 29 launch encounters problems, the date will be pushed back to September.
The Artemis I's four engines will be tested once more to determine whether or not the spacecraft can be launched again.
NASA's Artemis I rocket launch "scrubbed" on August 29
NASA is reportedly keeping the rocket in its current configuration after the Artemis I launch was "scrubbed," which means the project was canceled or abandoned. Keeping the rocket in its current configuration will allow NASA to gather more information about what needs to be done.
NASA officials told CNN that the Artemis spacecraft and the Space Launch System rocket have been kept at Launchpad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
While the mission was not officially scrubbed, officials kept the countdown on hold to figure out what was causing one of the four rockets to fail. The launch team quickly discovered an engine bleed in engine 3.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson took note of the unexpected problem and scrubbed the rocket's launch mission for the time being. He said:
"We don't launch until it's right. They've got a problem with the gases going on the engine bleed on one engine. It's just illustrative that this is a very complicated machine, a very complicated system, and all those things have to work. You don't light the candle until it's ready to go."
Weather conditions, according to reports, remained favorable. However, at the start of the countdown, offshore storms with the potential for lightning had delayed launch preparations by about an hour.
What were the preparations in place to avert the crisis?
The team initially stopped filling the tank with liquid hydrogen due to engine bleeding. A pressure spike occurred as well, but tanking resumed from the core stage and began with the upper stage.
The launch team discovered a crack in the external foam while investigating a line of frost on the inner stage flange of Artemis I. However, the foam crack did not appear to indicate a leak.
Engineers are working to determine the root cause of the 11-minute communication lag between the ground and spacecraft.
If the launch successfully happens on Friday, September 2, 2022, Artemis I is expected to go on a journey of 42 days. During this period, Artemis I will travel to the moon, loop around it, and return back to Earth. The spacecraft will cover a total distance of 1.3 million miles, or approximately 2.1 million kilometers.
