NASA postponed the launch of SLS from the Artemis-1 mission

(NASA / Twitter https://bit.ly/3RmEAuT)

The first launch of the super-heavy rocket SLS was postponed due to problems with a hydrogen leak in one of the booster's main stage engines, and other reasons.

The new launch date has been set for Friday, September 2.

Artemis-1 is the first flight under the Artemis program.

The Artemis program, launched by NASA in 2019, involves 3 steps:

the return of people to the Moon
the creation of an international manned near-lunar station Deep Space Gateway
a permanent base on the surface of our satellite.
the launch of research vehicles and lunar rovers.

The main payload of the first launch, which will last 42 days, consists of a complete version of the Orion spacecraft.

The ship includes a service module in addition to the return manned capsule.

The role of the “crew” is played by two mannequins, and one of them is dressed in an anti-radiation vest

The ship also has biological experiments containing:

yeast
seeds of Tal's clover
strains of black aspergillus fungus
photosynthetic algae

The payload consists of 10 cubesat satellites.

SCRUBBED LAUNCH
The opening of the two-hour launch window was scheduled for 08:33 Easter time on August 29.

The refueling of the main and upper stages of the rocket with cryogenic fuel components was successful.

However, forty minutes before the opening of the window, the countdown timer was stopped.

There was a problem with pumping hydrogen from the tanks through one of the main stage RS-25D engines to bring them to the right temperature before launch.

The engineers tried to solve it quickly, but they were unsuccessful.

The weather around the launch pad also began to deteriorate, which is why the launch was postponed to the first reserve date: September 2.

A possible crack in the thermal protection material of the main stage was also reported.

Sources:

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