After two failed attempts, NASA will again attempt to launch the Artemis I mission later this month. But this new target depends on several factors, including fixing a fuel leak, getting clearance from the Space Force, and managing a colliding schedule.
Jim Free, NASA's Associate Administrator for Exploration System Development, said the Artemis I mission, which will fly to the Moon, will launch on September 23 or September 27, as quoted from The Verge, Saturday (9/9/2022).
After a hydrogen leak forced a second experiment to be called off, NASA tried to fix the problem on the launch pad. NASA will replace the seal on the connection between the rocket and the fuel line that carries fuel into the rocket.
If it stays on the runway, NASA could test the new seal at cryogenic temperatures and mimic the conditions that existed at launch. The cryogenic test is scheduled for September 17, just days before the launch window opens on September 23.
In addition to fuel issues, NASA also has some major hurdles to launch the Artemis I mission. One of them is related to the 'flight termination system' which can destroy the rocket if something untoward happens during launch.
The Space Force requires NASA to test FTS every 25 days. This process required NASA to bring the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket back to the hangar and took a long time.
NASA is seeking a second extension to the Space Force. But the decision rests with the Space Force whether to allow NASA to launch the SLS rocket at the designated launch window or to return the rocket to the hangar.
In addition to the two problems above, NASA also has to set a very tight launch schedule considering that there are several important missions that will occur in the next month. The DART mission that will hit the asteroid Didymos will begin on September 26.
There was also an astronaut launch to the International Space Station in early October. If Artemis I fails to launch again in this launch window, it is possible that the next launch schedule will be pushed back until the end of October.
Artemis I itself is a test launch of the SLS rocket and the Orion capsule to the Moon. This unmanned mission will kick off the return of NASA astronauts to the Moon after more than five decades.