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The countdown has begun. Tonight, NASA will attempt to launch Artemis 2, the first crewed lunar mission since the Apollo era. This historic mission will send four astronauts on a trip around the Moon and back again—you won’t want to miss a single moment of it.
Ground teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, are in the midst of final preparations, targeting a launch window that will open at 6:24 p.m. ET today and remain open for two hours. Gizmodo will be following along all day to bring you the latest updates on countdown proceedings, the crew, and more. To watch the launch live, head to our watch page.
At T-0, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket will propel the Orion spacecraft and its crew—consisting of NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and the Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen—to low-Earth orbit. About 25 hours after launch, Orion will set course for the Moon. This will be the first time astronauts have departed low-Earth orbit in 54 years, and this time, they’re venturing deeper into space than ever before.
At 9:04 a.m. ET, the launch team transitioned to the fast fill of liquid hydrogen into the SLS core stage.
With the slow fill phase complete, this phase will rapidly load cryogenic LH2 into the rocket’s massive tanks, bringing them closer to full capacity, according to NASA. Because the hardware has now been thermally conditioned, teams can safely increase the fueling rate.
Liquid hydrogen is a tricky fuel to work with, which is a large part of why the SLS has experienced so many hydrogen leaks in the past. As the smallest molecule—consisting of two bonded hydrogen atoms—LH2 can escape through minuscule gaps in seals and joints. The extremely cold temperature of the fuel, which is -423 degrees Fahrenheit (-253 degrees Celsius), can also cause these hardware elements to become brittle and crack.
Today is a very exciting day. In a matter of hours, humanity’s decades-long hiatus from crewed lunar spaceflight may finally come to an end. Here’s where Artemis 2 countdown proceedings currently stand.
Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson gave the official “go” for tanking at 7:33 a.m. ET. At 8:35 a.m., the launch team initiated the slow fill of liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX) into the SLS core stage. According to NASA, this phase introduces the super-cold propellants at a controlled rate to allow the rocket’s plumbing and tanks to gradually adjust to cryogenic temperatures. This minimizes stress on hardware and prepares the rocket for faster fueling later today.
Essentially, ground teams are setting the stage for full tanking operations. Tanking will be the most challenging part of today’s launch preparations, and SLS is known to act up during this process. Back in February, hydrogen leaks derailed the first Artemis 2 wet dress rehearsal. Here’s hoping tanking goes smoothly today.
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Source: Gizmodo