NASA teams have transitioned to fast fill of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core stage with super-cold liquid hydrogen, chilled to minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit and liquid oxygen chilled to minus 297 degrees. Fast fill rapidly loads hundreds of thousands of gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into their core stage tanks. During this process, […]
Following successful chilldown of the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen lines, teams started slowly filling the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core stage with super-cold liquid hydrogen, chilled to minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit, then with liquid oxygen chilled to minus 297 degrees. This marks the official start of propellant loading for the Artemis II wet dress rehearsal. Slow fill is a deliberate process that allows the tanks and associated […]
Teams have started chilling down the liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX) lines for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core stage. This critical step cools the propellant lines ahead of loading super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the core stage tanks, which will eventually hold hundreds of thousands of gallons of liquid hydrogen chilled to minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit and liquid […]
At approximately 11:25 a.m. EST, the Artemis launch director, in coordination with the mission management team chair, gave the “go” to begin loading cryogenic liquid propellant into the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for wet dress rehearsal. While teams continue to monitor cold weather that would impact launch day, they are not tracking weather constraints to Monday’s tanking operations. NASA teams have completed final preparations and closeouts of the umbilicals […]
NASA’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) began its two-year primary science mission on Feb. 1 to explore and map the boundaries of our heliosphere — the protective bubble created by the solar wind that encapsulates our solar system. The mission, which launched on Sept. 24, 2025, relies on 10 scientific instruments to chart a […]
The Artemis II wet dress rehearsal countdown continues as teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida began configuring the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft with gaseous nitrogen, an important step to mitigate fire hazards, protect spacecraft systems, and ensure mission safety. Technicians are currently replacing the ambient air in the SLS and Orion crew module with gaseous nitrogen, which is an inert […]
The Sun emitted three strong solar flares on Feb. 1, peaking at 7:33 a.m. ET, 6:37 p.m. ET, and 7:36 p.m. ET. The Sun emitted a fourth strong solar flare on Feb. 2, peaking at 3:14 a.m. ET. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured images of the events. Solar flares are […]
NASA continues to press ahead through the countdown for the Artemis II wet dress rehearsal – a fueling test of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. Teams monitored all systems throughout the overnight hours during cold temperatures and high winds at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Early this morning, at approximately L-39 hours and 30 minutes, teams powered up the rocket’s core stage, which soon will be loaded […]
The countdown for the Artemis II wet dress rehearsal is underway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The countdown clock began at 8:13 p.m. EST, or L-48 hours, 40 minutes before the opening of a simulated launch window at 9 pm. Mon, Feb. 2. The test is expected to go until approximately 1 a.m. […]
NASA’s Libera instrument, which is designed to maintain the global data record of Earth’s radiation budget, has successfully completed comprehensive environmental testing. This critical milestone included thermal vacuum tests that simulate the expected space temperature and environments that Libera will experience during its mission. The Libera instrument will fly on Joint Polar Satellite System-4 (JPSS-4), […]
