Derek Richardson
November eleventh, 2022
NASA’s Artemis 1 House Launch System rocket sits atop its Cellular Launcher at Launch Complicated 39B, as seen on this picture from Sept. 23, 2022. Credit score: Sean Costello / Spaceflight Insider
NASA mentioned it’s aiming to launch the uncrewed Artemis 1 House Launch System rocket subsequent week after weathering Hurricane Nicole because it got here ashore over south Florida.
The company mentioned SLS and the Orion spacecraft solely obtained minor harm and the car didn’t expertise winds that exceeded its certification limits. Assuming engineers make any wanted repairs and put together the rocket in time, NASA hopes to try to fly Artemis 1 no sooner than a two-hour window that opens at 1:04 a.m. EST (06:04 UTC) Nov. 16, 2022.
Hurricane Nicole because it made landfall on the Florida coast. Credit score: NOAA
If engineers want extra time, there are two backup dates. The primary could be at 1:45 a.m. EST (06:45 UTC) Nov. 19 and the second could be at 10:10 a.m. EST (15:10 UTC) Nov. 25.
Mission managers rolled the Artemis 1 SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft out to Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 4. Whereas there have been early indications {that a} tropical system might type within the Atlantic Ocean a number of days after rollout, NASA mentioned the chance evaluation on the time was low.
By the point it turned clear that what would turn into Hurricane Nicole would type and take goal on the south Florida coast, it was too late for NASA to return the rocket again to the security of the Car Meeting Constructing — wind limits for a rollback would have been too excessive. So, the rocket remained secured at the pad.
The Class 1 storm made landfall at about 3 a.m. (8:00 UTC) Nov. 10, simply south of Vero Seashore, Florida, roughly 65 miles (105 kilometers) south of Kennedy House Middle.
The SLS rocket has a peak wind certification restrict of about 85 miles (136 kilometers) per hour. NASA mentioned the very best recorded on the pad was 82 miles (132 kilometers) per hour.
Among the many issues engineers might want to restore embody free RTV sealant on Orion, a tear in an engine rain cowl and water within the crew entry arm. Moreover, an umbilical on Orion got here off its tray, NASA mentioned.
Video courtesy of Orbital Velocity
Derek Richardson
Derek Richardson has a level in mass media, with an emphasis in modern journalism, from Washburn College in Topeka, Kansas. Whereas at Washburn, he was the managing editor of the scholar run newspaper, the Washburn Overview. He additionally has a web site about human spaceflight referred to as Orbital Velocity.
