CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA scrubbed Monday morning's scheduled launch of the Artemis I rocket after fears of weather problems, fueling issues, and a possible crack were all being dealt with during the countdown.
As precious minutes ticked away Monday morning, NASA repeatedly stopped and started the fueling of the Space Launch System rocket with nearly 1 million gallons of super-cold hydrogen and oxygen because of a leak of highly explosive hydrogen. The leak happened in the same place that saw seepage during a dress rehearsal back in the spring.
“This is a very complicated machine, a very complicated system, and all those things have to work, and you don’t want to light the candle until it’s ready to go," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
Officially, NASA said Engine #3 wasn't getting down to the right temperature Monday morning. The engine needed to chill to a certain temperature so that it's not shocked when it ignites. As of Monday afternoon, NASA said they don't believe a new engine is required.
Another issue NASA engineers are trying to resolve is a crack in a vent valve in the inner tank that has never been resolved.
The next launch opportunities are Friday, September 2, and Monday, September 5.
The launch window for September 2 would begin at 12:48 p.m. with a two-hour window to get off the ground. The ability to hit the new launch window will be whether the repairs can be made while on the launch pad.
If the mission launches on September 2, the mission would be 39 days instead of the original 42, and the rocket would splash down on October 11.
If the launch is pushed back to September 5, the window would begin at 5:12 p.m. with a 90 minutes window to get off the ground. This launch date allows for the initial 42-day flight, and the rocket would splash down on October 17.
