After repeated launch failures, rocket the gigantic Space Launch System (SLS) carrying the mission Artemis 1 will fly on Thursday (17/11) morning.
The Artemis 1 mission is the first United States Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) mission to return astronauts to the moon in 50 years. The last recorded manned trip to the Moon was in the name of the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
The Artemis 1 rocket is scheduled to launch into space from Pad 39B Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA on Wednesday (11/16) at 1:00 PM EST or Thursday (11/17) at 1:00 AM WIB.
NASA has said that the flight of its new rocket and spacecraft could encounter a number of technical problems that will result in minor delays.
“The test flight itself has inherent risks,” said Jim Free, NASA associate administrator for exploratory systems development. Space.
“This is the first flight of a new rocket and a new spacecraft,” he added.
Previously, engine cooling problems forced NASA to cancel its first launch scheduled for August 29.
Then, a second launch attempt on Sept. 3 also failed due to a liquid hydrogen leak during refueling, forcing NASA to return the rocket to the assembly line for repairs.
NASA always monitors the weather before launch, and the weather forecast for Artemis 1’s third launch attempt is promising.
According to Saturday’s (11/12) monitoring by Space Launch Delta 45 Meteorological Group at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, there is an 80 percent chance of good weather at launch.
The main weather concerns are heavy cloud cover, surface electric fields caused by lightning, and the possibility that the SLS may have to fly in the rain during its ascent phase. The weather monitoring team will post daily weather updates ahead of launch.
According to NASA’s website, the countdown to the launch of the Artemis 1 mission will begin on Monday (11/14) at 1.24pm WIB. The launch team is said to have combined lessons learned from wet suit test runs and perfected launch timing.
The main launch window itself will open on Thursday (17/11) from 01:04 WIB to 03:04 WIB
The launch process itself will begin Wednesday (11/16) early morning Indonesian time with fuel refueling to the SLS rocket. Then, around 10:00, the team will perform a translunar injection and spacecraft separation, as well as set Orion on a course to the Moon.
The same NASA team will guide people who want to watch the implementation of the Artemis 1 mission via live stream on NASA sitestarting from before lunch until after the rocket is airborne.
If efforts to launch the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft run into problems, NASA has determined alternate times, namely November 19 and 25.
(lom/arh)
