NASA’s Space Launch System Has Rolled Out And Will Soon Launch
It has been around 50 years since the last time a human stepped foot on the Moon. Since then NASA has worked on many different projects including sending rovers to Mars, incredible telescopes deep into space, and much more. However, this is in the process of changing due to the future Artemis missions with SLS or the Space Launch System at the core.
Just a few days ago NASA for the first time rolled out a fully stacked and nearly flight-ready Space Launch System. This rocket is one of the most powerful and biggest launch vehicles there is meant to carry the Orion Capsule to the Moon. This marks a big milestone and works towards the first test flight of SLS not long from now. In addition, this rollout means SLS will soon perform some of the final tests and checks before the flight.
It has been a long time coming for the Space Launch System. Billions of dollars and years of work have been put into this rocket meant to help establish a more permanent human presence on the Moon. This upcoming launch will determine the future schedule and plans for SLS. Here I will go more in-depth into the recent rollout and what to expect in the coming weeks prior to the first launch attempt.
SLS Rollout
Only a few days ago the Space Launch System was moved out of the Vehicle Assembly Building as a full rocket. On March 18th NASA SLS tweeted saying, “It’s a pretty great view from up here! At 4:15 a.m. on March 18, 2022, the SLS rocket and @NASA_Orion arrived at Launch Complex 39B.” This tweet included a picture of the over 300-foot tall rocket moving towards the launch pad. This is in preparation for a final test before its Artemis I Moon mission. The uncrewed flight test will pave the way for missions to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon under Artemis, and the rocket rolled to the pad for a final test before launch. “From this sacred and historical place, humanity will soon embark on a new era of exploration,” said NASA administrator Bill Nelson.
He continued to mention, “Artemis I will demonstrate NASA’s commitment and capacity to extend humanity’s presence on the Moon – and beyond.” Stacked on the mobile launcher and mounted on the crawler-transporter for a journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B, it took 10-hours and 28 minutes for SLS and Orion to reach the launch pad four miles away. The trip began at 5:47 p.m. Thursday, March 17, and the 322-foot tall, 3.5-million-pound rocket and spacecraft arrived at the pad at 4:15 a.m. on March 18. “Rolling out of the Vehicle Assembly Building is an iconic moment for this rocket and spacecraft, and this is a key milestone for NASA,” said Tom Whitmeyer, deputy associate administrator for Common Exploration Systems Development at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Now at the pad for the first time, we will use the integrated systems to practice the launch countdown and load the rocket with the propellants it needs to send Orion on a lunar journey in preparation for launch.”
Prior to the test, SLS, Orion, and the associated ground systems will undergo multiple checkouts at the pad. After the rehearsal, NASA will review data from the test before setting a specific target launch date for the upcoming Artemis I launch. The integrated rocket and spacecraft will roll back to the Vehicle Assembly Building several days after the test to remove sensors used during the rehearsal, charge system batteries, stow late-load cargo, and run final checkouts. Orion and SLS will then roll to the launch pad for a final time about a week before launch. With Artemis, NASA is planning to establish long-term exploration at the Moon in preparation for human missions to Mars. SLS and NASA’s Orion spacecraft, along with the human landing system and the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, are NASA’s foundation for deep space exploration. These reasons among others highlight how important the current and upcoming SLS operations are.
Wet Dress Rehearsal
Now that the Space Launch System has been rolled out to the launch pad, there are only a few steps left before a launch attempt. The next and equally important is the wet dress rehearsal. Specifically, engineers will conduct the final test, known as the wet dress rehearsal, of the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and Exploration Ground Systems before the Artemis I launch at Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rehearsal will run the Artemis I launch team through operations to load propellant into the rocket’s tanks, conduct a full launch countdown, demonstrate the ability to recycle the countdown clock, and also drain the tanks to give them an opportunity to practice the timelines and procedures they will use for launch. During the approximately two-day test, teams will start by activating the facilities needed for launch and formally beginning the countdown sequence. Teams will staff the Launch Control Center at Kennedy and connect with staff in the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the Space Force Eastern Range, and the SLS Engineering Support Center at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Launch controllers will power on different rocket and spacecraft systems, along with ground support equipment.
To put it in perspective, teams will then load more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic, or super cold, propellants including liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the rocket at the launch pad on the mobile launcher according to the detailed timeline they will use on the actual launch day. They will practice every phase of the countdown, including weather briefings, pre-planned holds in the countdown, conditioning and replenishing the propellants as needed, and validation checks. During the wet dress rehearsal, once launch controllers reach the point just before the rocket’s RS-25 engines will ignite on launch day, they will recycle back to the T-10 minute point, and then resume the countdown once more after a hold. The team will then deliberately halt the countdown at about 10 seconds before the simulated liftoff to demonstrate stopping a launch and draining the propellants from the rocket. Sometimes called a “scrub,” launch controllers may decide not to proceed with launch if a technical or weather issue arises during or prior to the countdown, so demonstrating the ability to remove propellants will ensure teams are prepared for various launch day scenarios. All of this is in prep for the long-awaited launch attempt of the next-generation launch vehicle.
Conclusion
It has been a very long time since humans stepped foot on the Moon. Artemis and specifically the Space Launch System are planning on changing that very soon. Billions of dollars and years of work have gone into the launch vehicle alone. Recently, SLS has been getting very close to its first launch as part of the Artemis 1 mission. Only a few days ago the rocket was rolled out for the first time and will soon go through a wet dress rehearsal. We will have to wait and see how the final tests and checks go and the impact it has on the space industry.