Hydrogen Leak Forces Artemis I Launch Scrub
NASA has scrubbed today's attempt to launch the Artemis I mission due to a hydrogen leak that was first noted as crews began tanking the rocket early this morning.
NASA first reported the leak on its Artemis blog at 7:09 am, and after multiple attempts to troubleshoot the issue, finally made the decision to scrub the launch at 11:17.
"The launch director waived off today’s Artemis I launch attempt at approximately 11:17 a.m. EDT. Teams encountered a liquid hydrogen leak while loading the propellant into the core stage of the Space Launch System rocket. Multiple troubleshooting efforts to address the area of the leak by reseating a seal in the quick disconnect where liquid hydrogen is fed into the rocket did not fix the issue. Engineers are continuing to gather additional data," the agency said on the blog.
Similar Hydrogen Leak led to Previous Scrub
A similar issue led to the postponement of Monday's launch attempt. During the week, teams worked to fix a leak on the tail service mast umbilical by replacing a flex-hose and a loose pressure sensor line, as the likely source of the leak. Teams also retorqued, or tightened, the bolts surrounding that enclosure to ensure a tight seal when introducing the super-cooled propellants through those lines. While there was no leak detected at ambient temperatures, teams continually monitored the system during tanking operations.
The slow fill phase of the tanking operation began shortly before 7:00 am this morning, and the hydrogen leak was noticed almost immediately.
Teams also adjusted the procedures to chill down the engines, also called the kick start bleed test, about 30 to 45 minutes earlier in the countdown during the liquid hydrogen fast fill phase for the core stage. This was intended to allow for additional time to cool the engines to appropriate temperatures for launch.
NASA must now determine whether to try to proceed with a third launch attempt next week, or if they should return the SLS to the Vehicle Assembly Building for more extensive repairs, which could involve replacing troublesome the #3 engine.
(Source: NASA. Images from file)