(Credit: NASA)
NASA has solved a helium flow problem that plagued a recent wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis II mission, and delayed its eventual launch even further. Now that it's been fixed, the agency is preparing to roll the gargantuan Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to the launch pad ahead of a potential April 1 launch, Ars Technica reports.
The Artemis program is NASA's major push to return to the moon this decade, but it's been far from smooth sailing. Despite a successful first Artemis I mission in 2022, where an unmanned Orion capsule was catapulted around the moon by the SLS, Artemis missions have faced several delays. The first wet test for Artemis II had a hydrogen leak; the second, a helium flow issue; and the ill-fated Artemis III mission (now Artemis IV) is well behind schedule due to Starship development delays.
The helium flow problem was caused by a faulty seal in the quick-disconnect for the tubing. “The team removed the quick disconnect, reassembled the system, and began validating the repairs to the upper stage by running a reduced flow rate of helium through the mechanism to ensure the issue was resolved,” NASA explained in a blog post. "Engineers are assessing what allowed the seal to become dislodged to prevent the issue from recurring.”
There are several other tests, checks, and refresh tasks needed to get the SLS ready for its next potential launch, so it'll remain at the Vertical Assembly Building (VAB) until the month. That will involve replacing the flight termination system batteries that allow the rapid destruction of the vehicle, should something go awry, and replacing the flight batteries on the upper and core stages, as well as the solid rocket boosters. Orion launch abort batteries will also be recharged.
If all goes to plan, it will be rolled back out to the launchpad ahead of its April launch windows. The first of those opens on April 1, with April 3, 4, 5, and 6 as potential launch dates too. It's possible NASA will want to conduct another wet-test rehearsal following the recent fixes, but that has not been announced.
Artemis II will take humans back to the moon for the first time in over 50 years. While they won't descend to or orbit the lunar body this time, they will slingshot past it, sending humans further from Earth than ever before, and giving them opportunities to test key communications and life support systems ahead of the Artemis landing mission later this decade.