Artemis I Moon Rocket Moves a Step Closer to Launch

NASA’s most powerful rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS) for Artemis I, has completed its fuel testing campaign and will now begin its final weeks of preparations before launch, mission officials said Friday.

Jeremy Kariuki

Friday, June 24, 2022 at 02:21 PM ET

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NASA’s Artemis I Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen illuminated by spotlights atop a mobile launcher. [Courtesy: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for Artemis I has successfully completed its fuel testing campaign (wet dress rehearsal) and is entering final launch preparations.
The rocket will be rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to address minor issues identified during testing, including a hydrogen leak.
Artemis I, an uncrewed mission around the moon and back, is targeting its first launch window in late August, marking the initial step of NASA's program to send humans back to the moon.

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Next, the 322-foot tall rocket will be rolled from launch pad 39B back to NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, where engineers will remediate minor issues found during the wet dress rehearsal on June 20. There, the SLS will remain for up to eight weeks before its first launch window in late August.