KEY POINTS
- NASA is conducting a full wet dress rehearsal to validate launch systems for the NASA Artemis II mission
- The test will shape launch timing within windows stretching from February through April
- Artemis II would push humans farther into space than any mission since 1970
NASA on Monday began a high-stakes fueling and countdown rehearsal for its Space Launch System rocket in Florida.
A pivotal milestone toward the NASA Artemis II mission that would send four astronauts around the moon as soon as Feb. 8, marking the first human deep-space flight since the Apollo era.
The test at Kennedy Space Center involves loading the 322 foot tall SLS rocket with more than 700,000 pounds of super chilled liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, then practicing launch day procedures short of ignition.
NASA says the outcome will determine whether the agency can maintain its target launch window for the long-anticipated crewed mission.
The wet dress rehearsal is among the final major checkpoints before astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen fly aboard the Orion spacecraft.
Artemis II follows the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022, which validated Orion’s heat shield and deep space systems during a lunar flyby.
The broader Artemis program aims to establish a sustained human presence on and around the moon, with an eye toward future Mars missions.
NASA officials have emphasized that Artemis II benefits from lessons learned during Artemis I, which faced repeated delays tied to hydrogen leaks and difficulties loading cryogenic propellants.
Those challenges required multiple rehearsal attempts and contributed to months of schedule pressure before the inaugural SLS launch.
Charlie Blackwell Thompson, Artemis launch director at NASA, said in a Jan. 16 briefing that the agency has incorporated operational changes based on Artemis I to improve efficiency and reliability.
She said procedures for loading propellants and managing countdown timelines were refined to reduce risk.
Bill Nelson, NASA administrator, has previously said Artemis II represents a transition from testing hardware to testing human systems, underscoring the mission’s role in validating life.support, navigation and crew operations in deep space.
Space policy analyst Laura Forczyk of Astralytical said the rehearsal is critical because it tests integrated systems under real launch conditions, not simulations.
NASA confirmed Jan. 23 that the Artemis II crew entered quarantine in Houston, a standard precaution to prevent illness before launch.
Koch, a veteran astronaut and engineer, is set to become the first woman to travel beyond low Earth orbit.
Glover, a former Navy pilot, will serve as pilot, while Wiseman, NASA’s chief astronaut, commands the mission. Hansen, a Royal Canadian Air Force colonel, will be the first Canadian to journey to lunar distance.
If issues arise, NASA retains the option to roll the SLS rocket back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for additional work.
A move that could delay launch beyond early February. Weather also remains a factor, as cold conditions postponed the initial rehearsal attempt over the weekend.
A successful wet dress rehearsal would clear one of the last technical hurdles for the NASA Artemis II mission, setting the stage for a flight that not only revives human lunar exploration but also extends humanity’s reach deeper into the solar system than at any time in more than half a century.
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