Artemis I launch updates: launch scrubbed after reoccurring liquid hydrogen leak

It comes after the launch was scrubbed Monday due to an engine problem.

ByMary Kekatos and Nadine El-Bawab
Last Updated: September 3, 2022, 11:02 AM EDT

NASA kicked off Monday its plan to send an unmanned space capsule into the moon’s orbit, marking the initial launch in an ambitious plan to establish a long term presence on the moon for scientific discovery and economic development.

The space capsule, called Artemis I, will travel for roughly 40 days -- reaching as close as 60 miles from the moon, and then 40,000 miles above the moon when orbiting over its dark side -- before landing in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.

After the launch was scrubbed, the next attempt will occur Sept. 3.

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Sep 03, 2022, 11:02 AM EDT

Liquid hydrogen leak detected for the 4th time

NASA engineers have detected a liquid hydrogen leak for the fourth time, despite three attempts to troubleshoot the leak. NASA said its teams are now discussing next steps.

A third leak occurred earlier in a cavity between the ground and flight side plates of a quick disconnect in the engine section. They attempted to warm up the quick disconnect to try to reset the seal then began flowing liquid hydrogen to the core stage.

NASA said the liquid oxygen tank of the core stage is full and is being replenished as some of the super-cooled propellant boils off.

Sep 03, 2022, 9:28 AM EDT

NASA troubleshooting reoccurrence of liquid hydrogen leak

NASA engineers said they will stop the flowing liquid hydrogen into the tank after they detected the reoccurrence of a leak Saturday. They will close the valve used to fill and drain it, then increase pressure on a ground transfer line using helium to try to reseal it.

A leak reoccured as engineers increased the pressure on the flow of liquid hydrogen into the core stage, NASA said.

Engineers will attempt to reseat the seal in the quick disconnect cavity where the leak was detected. The flow of liquid oxygen to the core stage will continue, NASA said.

Sep 03, 2022, 9:01 AM EDT

Artemis I launch on track after engineers detect a liquid leak

Launch control gave an order for fuel loading operations for Artemis I to begin Saturday morning, ahead of the scheduled launch window.

Over the next few hours 760,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and oxygen will be loaded into the Space Launch System (SLS) tank.

Engineers detected a liquid hydrogen leak in a quick disconnect cavity and stopped flowing the propellant to the core stage while they troubleshot, NASA had said earlier.

Launch controllers have resumed the flow of liquid hydrogen to the core stage.

-ABC News' Gina Sunseri

Sep 02, 2022, 9:32 AM EDT

Artemis still on track to launch Saturday

NASA officials announced Friday that Artemis I is still on track to launch Saturday afternoon between 2:17 p.m. ET and 4:17 p.m. ET.

Jeremy Parsons, deputy manager of exploration ground systems at the Kennedy Space Center, said pre-launch tests and checks are "proceeding right on schedule."

The Artemis I unmanned lunar rocket sits on the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 1, 2022.
Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Melody Lovin, launch weather officer at the U.S. Space Force, said the weather forecast is currently a 60% go overall and 80% toward the end of the two-hour window, If the launch needs to be delayed until Monday, the forecast is a 70% go.

"I do not expect weather to be a showstopper by any means for either launch window," she said.

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