NASA will hold a media teleconference at 4 p.m. EDT today on Tuesday, April 5, to provide another update on the final major test with the agencys mega Moon rocket and Orion spacecraft at the launch pad ahead of the uncrewed Artemis I lunar mission.Audio of the teleconference will stream live on the agencys website.
During the approximate two-day test known as a wet dress rehearsal, NASA encountered an issue Monday, April 4, with a panel on the mobile launcher that controls the core stage vent valve. The purpose of the valve is to relieve pressure from the rockets core stage during tanking. NASAs launch director made the call to stop the test given the time to resolve the issue as teams were nearing the end of their shifts.
At the time the test ended, the team had loaded about 50% of the liquid oxygen into the Space Launch System rocket core stage. Teams are reviewing range availability and the time needed to turn systems around before determining another attempt to conduct the wet dress rehearsal.
Teleconference participants include:
- Tom Whitmeyer, deputy associate administrator for Common Exploration Systems Development, NASA Headquarters in Washington
- Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager, NASA Headquarters
- Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director, Exploration Ground Systems Program, NASAs KennedySpace Center inFlorida
