The “wet dress rehearsal” failed to complete the count to 0. It is not known if NASA received the data needed to launch the SLS rocket .
After hours of testing, NASA failed to finish its new ‘wet dress rehearsal’ for the Space Launch System ( SLS ) rocket, which will power the Artemis missions to the Moon.
The SLS ‘s fourth dress rehearsal at Launch Complex 39B ran to T-29 seconds, a count near the end, but could not be completed due to “technical problems.”
The curse of the “wet dress rehearsal”
This is the fourth time that the SLS has tried to complete this test, but failed to complete it.
This time, there was a liquid hydrogen leak at a “quick disconnect” fitting for a purge line that transfers that propellant from the core stage back to the platform.
Efforts to stop the leak, including heating and then cooling the fitting in hopes of resealing the connection, failed.
After lengthy deliberation, NASA managers opted to proceed with the terminal countdown from a previously planned T-10 minutes after taking steps to hide warnings about the computers leaking.
Hydrogen leakage was the most serious problem, but not the only one, that arose during this test. NASA delayed the start of the core stage tank by about two hours due to a problem with a valve in a gaseous nitrogen backup line serving the platform . Subsequently, the loading of liquid oxygen into the upper stage of the SLS was stopped for a time after reaching a pressure limit. There was also a small grass fire near a stack of flares in the vicinity of the platform used to burn off excess hydrogen.
Regardless, this test is the closest to completion and marked the first time the vehicle was completely filled with liquid oxygen and propellant liquid hydrogen on the platform.
A new test?
NASA ‘s goal was to finish the count down to 0, so, despite the fact that it was the best attempt so far, it is not known if it provided the space agency with the necessary information to finally see the launch of the SLS rocket with the capsule . Orions on board.