KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) and Orion spacecraft mega moon rocket for the Artemis II crewed moonshot mission completed its rollback from launch pad 39B to the VAB where it arrived around 8 p.m. EST, Feb. 25, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida – to fix the helium flow interruption issue detected in the ICPS upper stage during
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – Bad news for NASA Artemis II launch! An issue with interruption of highly purified helium gas flow was detected in the ICPS upper stage during testing overnight Feb. 21 at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida forcing rollback to the VAB. Helium is required in various SLS systems for pressurization and
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER/TITUSVILLE/CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – We had a few opportunities to photograph NASA’s Artemis II moon rocket from locations on the Kennedy Space Center as well as off site from Titusville along the Indian River lagoon – as the 2-day long Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR) cryogenic fueling and simulated countdown was in progress since the evening of Jan. 31.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – The first WDR (wet dress rehearsal) cryogenic propellant fueling test for the Artemis II moon rocket ended early overnight Feb. 2/3 when it was halted due to serious hydrogen leaks that plagued the test at multiple points throughout the day and evening. NASA is now working to fix the hydrogen leaks which reached a dangerous
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – NASA is targeting Monday Nov. 14 as the date for the next launch attempt of the Artemis I mission with a nighttime liftoff of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft on a test flight around the Moon and back. The just past midnight nighttime launch window for
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – In the face of the impending devastating threat from monster Hurricane Ian approaching the Florida peninsula including the Space Coast NASA technicians successfully moved the Artemis 1 Moon rocket back to inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) protective hangar Tuesday morning, Sept. 27, after starting the 4-mile trip from atop launch
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – NASA announced that technicians are repairing the leaking hydrogen fuel line on the mammoth Artemis 1 Moon rocket out at launch pad 39B which in turn will enable the team to carry out a full tanking demonstration test of super cold cryogenics to verify whether the dangerous leak has been fixed out at the pad
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – NASA announced the agency has moved up the rollout of the Artemis 1 Moon rocket from the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to its launch pad by nearly 2 days to Tuesday, Aug. 16 and is still targeting Aug. 29 as the launch date for the maiden flight of the mammoth
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – NASA decided the 4th Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR) Tanking Test conducted on the repaired 32- story tall Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on Monday, June 20 was sufficiently successful to declare completion of the practice countdown and cryogenic fueling test campaign objectives despite a new hydrogen leak – and thereby paves the
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – For the first time NASA was able to fully fuel both stages of the agency’s Mega Moon Rocket with supercold cryogenic propellants and enter the terminal countdown to within 29 seconds of T-Zero on Monday June 20, despite a hydrogen leak during the fourth attempt to complete the critical countdown and