NASA expects to conduct its first crewed lunar flight under the Artemis program as early as March, following a successful rocket fueling test. This is reported by AP News, according to UNN.
Details
The space agency reported that during the second countdown test, liquid hydrogen leaks, which had previously disrupted launch preparations, were avoided. After replacing two seals, the rocket fueling proceeded without significant problems, and the countdown reached the planned 29-second mark.
NASA noted that the test was an important step towards the US returning to crewed missions in cis-lunar space. The agency is considering launching the Artemis II mission as early as March 6 from the space center at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The crew of four astronauts – three US citizens and one Canadian – is preparing for a mandatory two-week quarantine. In March, NASA will have only five launch windows, after which preparations will have to be postponed until April.
The agency emphasized that a final flight readiness review is still ahead. If the mission takes place, it will be the first human flight to the Moon since 1972.
Recall
An international team of researchers recorded an unusual exoplanet system where a rocky planet is further from its star than its gas neighbors. This structure contradicts traditional ideas about the evolution of space.