NASA preparing for Artemis II wet dress rehearsal
by Lisa Hornung · UPIFeb. 2 (UPI) -- NASA plans to run its final launch test for Artemis II Monday in preparation for the Sunday launch of the first manned trip to the moon since 1972.
At about 9 p.m. EST Monday, NASA will do a mission countdown simulation to power on and fuel the Space Launch System rocket.
The test, called a wet dress rehearsal, includes the full launch team and a series of complex steps involved in a space launch. It includes engineers in Florida, at Mission Control at Johnson Space Center in Houston and at other NASA facilities.
The launch window for Artemis II is Feb. 8-11.
NASA had to cancel the wet dress on Saturday due to freezing temperatures in Florida. Tanking operations require an overall outdoor temperature above 41 degrees, and can't dip below 40 for more than 30 consecutive minutes.
The team has begun configuring the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft with gaseous nitrogen, which helps prevent fire hazards, protect spacecraft systems and ensure mission safety, NASA said.
By replacing ambient air with nitrogen, engineers can remove the oxidizer needed to sustain fire and dramatically reduce flammability risks in a launch environment filled with high-energy systems and propellants.
NASA will also purge the oxygen which prevents contaminates like moisture or particulates from entering sensitive systems. This helps stabilize life-support hardware and minimizes chemical reactions during countdown and ascent.
Artemis II rocket rolls out to the launchpad in Florida
NASA's Space Launch System rocket emerges on Saturday morning from the Vehicle Assembly Building to start its journey to Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo