The launch rehearsal for the Space Launch System rocket will allow NASA engineers to ensure that the actual launch to the Moon goes as planned. This will be the first crewed lunar mission since 1972.
The Space Launch System rocket is currently at launch pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, writes Focus. At the top of the rocket is the Orion spacecraft, aboard which four astronauts will make the first journey to the Moon since 1972 as part of the Artemis-2 mission. On Tuesday, February 3, at 4 AM Kyiv time, the launch rehearsal for the rocket will begin, which is intended to demonstrate its readiness for flight into space. The Artemis-2 mission is scheduled to launch between February 8 and 11, 2026. The final launch date will be determined after the rehearsal, writes Republic World.
During the launch rehearsal, the Space Launch System rocket will undergo fueling and testing of all systems. The rocket will be fueled with super-cooled liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
NASA engineers will fuel the rocket, practice the countdown sequence before launch, simulate technical delays, and practice draining fuel from the tanks in case of a launch cancellation. This could occur due to weather conditions or technical malfunctions.
Although the astronauts will not be inside the Orion spacecraft during the launch rehearsal, ground teams will still simulate procedures related to crew flight.
During the rehearsal, engineers will intentionally stop the countdown several times, including a key stop at 1 minute and 30 seconds before launch. This is the moment when launch teams check whether the rocket's core stage meets the requirements for flight.
Such rehearsals are necessary as the Space Launch System, NASA's most powerful rocket, contains complex systems that must function in a precisely defined sequence.
Artemis-2 is NASA's first crewed lunar mission since 1972, when the Apollo program concluded and astronauts last visited the Moon. The new Artemis program is designed as a foundation for long-term human presence on the Moon.
As part of the Artemis-2 mission, four astronauts will embark on a journey around the Moon and return back to Earth. They will test the spacecraft's life support, navigation, and communication systems during the 10-day flight. This serves as preparation for the Artemis-3 mission, when NASA astronauts will return to the Moon's surface in 2027 or 2028.
After the launch rehearsal is completed, NASA engineers will analyze the data collected, and the final launch date for the Artemis-2 mission will be selected.
