The Artemis 1 The press briefing is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. EDT (1630 GMT). You can listen here on Space.com, courtesy of NASA or directly through the space service (opens in a new tab). (It looks like the update will be audio only.) The invitation will include:
Tom Whitmeyer, deputy associate administrator, Common Exploration Systems Development, NASA Headquarters Brad McCain, vice president and general manager, Jacobs Space Operations Group; John Blevins, Space launch system (SLS) chief engineer, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Artemis 1 is NASA’s first mission Artemis program of moon exploration. It will use an SLS megarocket to launch an unfilled Orion capsule on a long journey to lunar orbit and back. NASA attempted to launch Artemis 1 on August 29 and September 3, but was prevented by malfunctions both times. The September 3rd issue was a liquid hydrogen propellant leakwhich the mission team addressed by replacing two seals in the affected area, a “quick disconnect” that connects the SLS core stage to a fuel line from the mobile launch tower. The Artemis 1 team performed a power-up test on Wednesday (September 21) and the fix is in place. the team detected a leak but was able to reduce it to manageable levels. All targets were met during Wednesday’s test, so “teams are refining procedures for the next launch opportunity, with a goal of no earlier than September 27,” NASA officials he wrote in an update (opens in new tab) on Thursday (September 22). Today’s press briefing will give us more details about these processes and the mission team’s plans for the future. These plans depend on several factors other than leak repair. For example, NASA has applied for a waiver from the US Space Force to extend the certification of the Artemis 1 Flight Termination System (FTS), which is designed to destroy the SLS if something goes wrong during launch. (The Space Force oversees the Eastern Range for missile launches.) FTS was certified for 25 days and has exceeded that deadline. If the waiver is not granted, NASA will have to drop the Artemis 1 stack from the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida back to the facility’s massive Vehicle Assembly Building for recertification. Then there’s the weather, which is always a concern on Florida’s hot and windy Space Coast. Mike Wall is the author of “Out there (opens in new tab)” (Grand Central Publishing, 2018, illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for extraterrestrial life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall (opens in a new tab). Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or enabled Facebook (opens in a new tab).