NASA delays moon program’s dress rehearsal after series of scrubs
The Space Launch System rocket will remain at the launchpad 3B until the dress rehearsal concludes
Lightning strikes NASA launch complex
Lightning struck the area around the Artemis I wet dress rehearsal on Saturday
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A series of technical issues that popped up during the dress rehearsal for the Artemis I moon rocket program has forced NASA to put a hold on the test until at least the weekend.
On Sunday, a problem with a fan system on the rocket’s tower delayed the dress rehearsal by several hours, and on Monday, a problem with a vent triggered crews to stop the rehearsal out of concern for safety.
During a briefing on Tuesday evening, NASA officials weren’t overly concerned with the technical issues and labeled the incidents "nuisance" and stressed they have found no design flaws with the rocket or the mission itself.
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The postponement of the dress rehearsal will allow the Axiom-1 mission to become the main focus for NASA with the hopes that the SpaceX rocket will launch from the Kennedy Space Center on Friday.
The mission will mark another first in space travel, with three members aboard the SpaceX rocket being the first paying customers to do dock at the International Space Station.
Once the rocket lifts off from launchpad 39A, that will give the green light for experts to restart Artemis' wet dress rehearsal if the technical issues have been worked out.
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Image 1 of 9The Space Launch System rocket will remain at the launchpad 3B until the dress rehearsal concludes (NASA)
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Image 2 of 9A round of storms brought gusty winds, heavy rainfall and lightning to Florida’s Space Coast on Saturday. (NASA)
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Image 3 of 9The massive rocket was moved to the launchpad 39B in March. (NASA)
![The Moon is seen rising behind NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard atop a mobile launcher as it rolls out to Launch Complex 39B for the first time, Thursday, March 17, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ahead of NASA’s Artemis I flight test, the fully stacked and integrated SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft will undergo a wet dress rehearsal at Launch Complex 39B to verify systems and practice countdown procedures for the first launch. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)]()
Image 4 of 9The Moon is seen rising behind NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard atop a mobile launcher as it rolls out to Launch Complex 39B for the first time, Thursday, March 17, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ahead of NASA’s Artemis I flight test, the fully stacked and integrated SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft will undergo a wet dress rehearsal at Launch Complex 39B to verify systems and practice countdown procedures for the first launch. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani) ( )
![NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop a mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B, Friday, March 18, 2022, after being rolled out to the launch pad for the first time at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ahead of NASA’s Artemis I flight test, the fully stacked and integrated SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft will undergo a wet dress rehearsal at Launch Complex 39B to verify systems and practice countdown procedures for the first launch. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)]()
Image 5 of 9NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop a mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B, Friday, March 18, 2022, after being rolled out to the launch pad for the first time at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ahead of NASA’s Artemis I flight test, the fully stacked and integrated SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft will undergo a wet dress rehearsal at Launch Complex 39B to verify systems and practice countdown procedures for the first launch. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani) (NASA)
![The SLS and Orion spacecraft slowly roll to launchpad 39B at Kennedy Space Center on March 17, 2022.]()
Image 6 of 9The Artemis-1 SLS and Orion spacecraft slowly roll to launchpad 39B at Kennedy Space Center on March 17, 2022. (Image: Emilee Speck/FOX Weather) ( )
![The Artemis-1 mission rocket rolls slowly to launchpad 39B at Kennedy Space Center on March 17, 2022.]()
Image 7 of 9The Artemis-1 mission rocket rolls slowly to launchpad 39B at Kennedy Space Center on March 17, 2022. ( )
![The Artemis-1 mission rocket rolls slowly to launchpad 39B at Kennedy Space Center on March 17, 2022.]()
Image 8 of 9The Artemis-1 mission rocket rolls slowly to launchpad 39B at Kennedy Space Center on March 17, 2022. ( )
![Artemis-1, the Space Launch System and Orion, emerge from the VAB at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. (Image: Emilee Speck/FOX Weather)]()
Image 9 of 9Artemis-1, the Space Launch System and Orion, emerge from the VAB at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. (Image: Emilee Speck/FOX Weather) ( )
Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson said the next wet dress rehearsal would not start from scratch and would take around 36 hours to complete.
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The massive test would include loading more than 700,000 gallons of propellants into the rocket but stop short of firing the engines of the Space Launch System rocket.
NASA officials did not say whether the delays with the dress rehearsal would impact the timeline of an actual launch of the spacecraft that was tentatively planned for June.
The Artemis program is expected to return astronauts to the moon by 2025 and could even lead to human exploration of Mars by 2040.