Space News by Jeff Foust — January 13, 2022
NASA officials are holding out hope that the first Space Launch System launch can still take place as soon as March despite a delay in the rollout of the vehicle for a key test until mid-February.
In an update on preparations for the Artemis 1 mission published Jan. 5, NASA said it expected to roll out the SLS to Launch Complex 39B in mid-February for a fueling test and practice countdown called a wet dress rehearsal. After that test, the SLS will go back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for final preparations before returning to the pad for the launch.
NASA had earlier planned to conduct that wet dress rehearsal this month. However, the agency said Dec. 17 it delayed the rollout because of a problem with an engine controller, a computer system that operates one of the four RS-25 engines in the SLS core stage. Managers decided to replace the engine controller, a process that delayed the rollout and ruled out a launch in a two-week window in February that NASA had announced in October.
In December NASA said it was “reviewing launch opportunities in March and April” for Artemis 1. “NASA will set a target launch date after a successful wet dress rehearsal test,” the agency said in the Jan. 5 update.
More:
https://spacenews.com/nasa-holding-out-hope-for-first-sls-launch-in-march/
