Artemis Update: Wet Dress Complete, Launch Date Likely Late August

Following the analysis of data gathered from the wet dress rehearsal on Monday, June 20, NASA officials from Kennedy Space Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, and NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. announced in a media teleconference held on Friday that the testing campaign is complete. 

“During the wet dress rehearsal activities, we have incrementally added to our knowledge about how the rocket and the ground systems work together, and our teams have become proficient in launch procedures across multiple sites. We have completed the rehearsal phase, and everything we’ve learned will help improve our ability to lift off during the target launch window,” said Tom Whitmeyer, deputy associate administrator for common exploration systems at NASA Headquarters. 

“The team is now ready to take the next step and prepare for launch.” 

During Monday’s rehearsal, teams successfully validated the timelines and procedures for launch, including loading cryogenic propellant into the rocket’s tanks, performing the launch countdown through the handover to the automated launch sequencer, and draining the tanks. 

Following the completion of one additional minor test on some legacy hardware, the SLS and Orion will be rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on either July 1 or 2 to prepare the rocket and spacecraft for launch and to repair a leak detected during the most recent rehearsal. 

Once inside the VAB, teams will replace a seal on the quick disconnect of the tail service mast umbilical to address the liquid hydrogen leak detected during the rehearsal. According to SLS chief engineer John Blevins of Marshall Space Flight Center, the teflon seal that leaked during the final wet dress rehearsal was the same used at Stennis and had degraded over time. “It has some runtime on it,” he explained. 

NASA plans to return the SLS and Orion to Launch Pad 39B for launch in late August. A specific target launch date will be set in coming weeks following the replacement of hardware associated with the leak.

Images provided by NASA Headquarters.