Posted on 04/04/2022 10:17:22 PM PDT by BenLurkin
NASA's second attempt to fuel its Artemis 1 moon mission megarocket hit another snag on Monday (April 4) due to a valve issue on ground equipment.
A stuck vent valve high up on the mobile launcher structure supporting the Artemis 1's Space Launch System rocket at Launch Pad 39B of NASA's Kennedy Space Center forced NASA to scrub the Artemis 1 test after fueling began on Monday, agency officials said. The valve is use to relieve pressure from the rocket's core stage during fueling.
Monday's fueling attempt was NASA's second try to fill the core stage of Artemis 1's 322-foot-tall (98 m) SLS rocket with 700,000 gallons (2.6 million liters) of super-chilled liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellant in what the agency calls a "wet dress rehearsal." The test, which began April 1, features a full launch countdown rehearsal, including the fueling process.
The vent valve was on the 160-foot (49 meters) level of the mobile launcher, which serves as both a gantry and launch platform for the SLS, according to Parsons. NASA officials said the problem occurred in a panel that controls the valve, leaving technicians unable to open the valve.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
My first thought. Or silicone spray.
The expression “C... F...” seems to be appropriate...
Possibly, NASA has failed to attain the optimum diversity balance...
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