BREAKING: The Artemis I launch set for Saturday has been scrubbed due to a hydrogen fuel leak.
The Artemis mission plans to send astronauts back to the moon for the first time in 50 years.CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA’s new moon rocket sprang another dangerous fuel leak Saturday, forcing launch controllers to call off their second attempt to send a crew capsule into lunar orbit with test dummies.
The first attempt earlier in the week was also marred by escaping hydrogen, but those leaks were elsewhere on the 322-foot rocket, the most powerful ever built by NASA.There was no immediate word on when NASA might try again. After Tuesday, a two-week launch blackout period kicks in. Extensive fuel leak repairs could require that the rocket be hauled off the pad and back into its hangar, possibly pushing the flight into October.
Launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson and her team tried to plug Saturday’s leak the way they did the last time: stopping and restarting the flow of super-cold liquid hydrogen in hopes of removing the gap around a seal in the supply line. They tried that twice, in fact, and also flushed helium through the line. But the leak persisted.Blackwell-Thompson finally halted the countdown after three to four hours of futile effort.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Fuel leak ruins NASA’s 2nd shot at launching moon rocketThe first attempt earlier in the week was also marred by escaping hydrogen, but those leaks were elsewhere on the 322-foot (98-meter) rocket, the most powerful ever built by NASA.
Read more »
Fuel leak ruins NASA's 2nd shot at launching moon rocketNASA’s new moon rocket sprang another dangerous fuel leak Saturday, forcing launch controllers to call off their second attempt to send a crew capsule into lunar orbit with test dummies.
Read more »
Fuel leak ruins NASA’s 2nd shot at launching moon rocketNASA has two hours Saturday afternoon to get the rocket off.
Read more »
Fuel leak ruins NASA’s 2nd shot at launching moon rocketMinutes into the operation, hydrogen fuel began seeping from the engine section at the bottom of the rocket, violating safety rules.
Read more »
Fuel leak ruins NASA's 2nd shot at launching moon rocketBREAKING NASA's new moon rocket ArtemisI sprang another dangerous fuel leak Saturday, forcing launch controllers to call off their second attempt to send a crew capsule into lunar orbit with test dummies.
Read more »