NASA completes Artemis 1 countdown test; steps closer to 2022 launch

NASA engineers have successfully completed the second countdown sequencing test of its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, taking the preparations for the first lunar mission to its next stage. In a blog shared on January 25, the agency revealed that no issues were reported during the test, which is one of the final ones ahead of the uncrewed Artemis 1 mission targeted for March this year. It is worth mentioning that the Artemis missions will set the base for the return of humans to the Moon after 50 years. 

"The test demonstrated the ground launch software and ground launch sequencer, which checks the health and status of the rocket sitting on the pad", NASA wrote on its blog. Moreover, the engineers also ensured that the launch sequencer is working properly by testing the compatibility of the SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft."This is one of the final tests for the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft ahead of the Artemis I mission and brings the team one step closer to rolling to the launch pad in mid-February for the wet dress rehearsal test", NASA said in its blog. 

What's next before the liftoff?

The agency informed that its next step is to perform final checks of the Moon rocket as part of the final program-specific engineering tests. Besides, the dress rehearsals are scheduled for next month wherein the SLS rocket will be fully loaded with propellant and the engineers will run all the pre-launch tests for the uncrewed flight. Interestingly, the latest test was conducted inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center which was the construction site for the Apollo Saturn V rockets in the 1960s and the 1970s, as per Space.com.

NASA's plan under Artemis missions

Under the Artemis missions, which will begin in 2022, NASA aims to launch humans back to the Moon starting with the uncrewed Artemis 1. The second launch would be a Moon-orbiting one wherein astronauts will visit the Moon in 2024 and finally make a landing in 2025 under Artemis 3. 

Image: Twitter/@NASA_SLS