Following three failed attempts at completing a wet dress rehearsal involving its next-generation lunar rocket, NASA is now discussing when to try again.
NASA has decided to pause plans for a wet dress rehearsal involving its next-generation lunar rocket after a slew of issues over the last couple of weeks derailed efforts. The space agency said it wants to make some repairs as well as assess the current situation and will therefore roll the powerful SLS moon rocket and Orion spacecraft from the launchpad back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s new SLS moon rocket arrived at the launchpad for the first time four weeks ago ahead of a test involving filling the rocket with fuel and a mock countdown. The first attempt at the rehearsal took place at the start of this month but was called off due to a fan issue impacting the rocket’s mobile launcher. A day later, on April 4, a second effort was halted when engineers spotted a stuck valve on ground equipment linked to the test procedure.
