The Artemis 1 mission was scheduled to launch into lunar orbit at 1:17 AM on September 4, Hanoi time, but a detected issue has led to a second cancellation of the launch.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) hoped to conduct the Artemis 1 lunar mission at 2:17 PM on September 3 local time, which corresponds to 1:17 AM on September 4 in Hanoi. However, a hydrogen fuel leak discovered about seven hours before the launch thwarted this effort.
SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft on the launch pad in Florida. (Photo: AFP).
The technical team made several attempts to stop the fuel leak throughout the Artemis 1 countdown. Initially, engineers heated the connector to the fuel tank for 30 minutes and resealed it to make it tighter, then cooled it with cold fuel. The second attempt involved closing valves and pressurizing with helium to seal the leak. Ultimately, they reverted to the heating and cooling method to address the issue. However, all three attempts were unsuccessful.
This marks the second launch cancellation for the Artemis 1 mission this week. On August 29, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft also failed to take off from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida due to an engine issue.
This means that NASA will have to wait until at least next Monday to attempt the Artemis 1 lunar mission. The appropriate launch window will last for 90 minutes, starting from 5:12 PM on September 5 local time, which is 4:12 AM on September 6 in Hanoi. NASA could also push back a day to 6:57 PM on September 6 local time, or 5:57 AM on September 7 in Hanoi, but the suitable launch window would only last 24 minutes. If both of these launch opportunities fail, NASA will have to wait until October for the next attempt.
Artemis I is the first mission in the Artemis lunar exploration program. Nearly 50 years after the last Apollo flight in 1972, NASA has initiated a program aimed at landing humans on the Moon in previously unexplored areas.
This will also be the first flight of the super rocket SLS. NASA’s most powerful launch vehicle is expected to send the uncrewed Orion spacecraft into lunar orbit on a 6-week test flight from liftoff to landing. The primary goal of the mission is to demonstrate that both vehicles are ready to begin launching astronauts to the Moon and other deep space destinations.
Artemis I will also deploy Cubesat satellites and conduct a series of scientific experiments to analyze the lunar surface and study how space radiation affects cell life.
According to the plan, the Artemis lunar exploration program is divided into three phases. After the uncrewed Artemis I mission, astronauts will embark on their journey in 2024 and 2025 during the Artemis II and Artemis III missions.
