Artemis 2 wet rehearsal faces leaks: NASA loads 2.65mn litres fuel on rocket. Why the fuel test matters?

NASA fuelled up the Artemis 2 mission's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on Monday (February 2) as part of a crucial test before Orion lifts off for the Moon. The space agency mission loaded the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with more than 700,000 gallons (2.65 million litres) of cryogenic liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX) on Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Artemis 2 is scheduled to lift off not before February 8. However, the test showed a leak. Can this push the launch date forward? The good news is that even though the teams had to stop loading LH2 into the SLS core stage twice to deal with leaks, they were able to fix the problem immediately. The fuelling test ran over two days, starting January 31 and ending with the fuelling of the rocket. The wet dress rehearsal won't be over till 1 am EST, as all the loaded-up fuel will then be drained out. NASA hasn't officially called the test a success, as the test is still going on. It will hold a press conference at 12 pm EST on Tuesday (February 3) and reveal the details of the fuelling test.

What were the leaks in Artemis 2 SLS?

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and Canada's Jeremy Hansen are set to go on a 10-day trip around the moon. The initial plan was to take off on February 6. But since the wet rehearsal was moved forward by two days because of bad weather, the actual launch date was also pushed ahead to February 8. The leaks weren't unexpected, as Artemis 1 had faced similar leaks, given how LH2 can seep out of even the tiniest of places. Artemis 1 was supposed to launch in the spring of 2022, but it finally lifted off in November. The mission successfully sent an uncrewed Orion capsule to lunar orbit and back to Earth. The mission forms the basis for Artemis 2 as it showed that the spacecraft and other hardware could handle the rigours of deep space.

Also Read: Artemis 2 wet launch begins at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center: Launch date, astronauts and other details

Why Artemis 2 mission matters?

Artemis 2 will take humans out of Earth's orbit for the first time in over 50 years. The mission is crucial as NASA aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface once again after a long gap. The Apollo missions proved to be a huge step for humanity as Neil Armstrong and others touched down on the Moon in 1969. The fuel test precedes the final launch as it offers a chance to check all systems. Cryogenic liquid hydrogen (LH2) has extremely tiny molecules which can leak from the smallest nook. The fuel test revealed that this could happen on the main day as well, and NASA engineers could troubleshoot it timely.

Also Read: An American flag that has waited 56 years to go to space finally gets its chance with Artemis 2

Why have humans never returned to the Moon after Apollo missions?

However, ever since the Apollo mission ended, no one had ever returned to the Moon. This has been attributed to the loss of technology over the years, leading NASA to once again work on a robust mission. However, experts say the moon was never again on the radar. The political ambitions were fulfilled, a lot of lunar samples were collected, and NASA shifted its focus elsewhere. Besides, the Apollo mission cost billions of dollars. This Artemis 2 mission matters because humans are not only trying to build a colony on the Moon, but also use it as a base to launch towards Mars. A nuclear power reactor and a space station orbiting the Moon are in the plans, and will catapult humans towards exploring deep space like never before.