(WHNT) – NASA officials say they plan to conduct a second wet dress rehearsal for Artemis 2 on Thursday as the agency considers a March launch.
The Artemis 2 mission is scheduled to take humans around the moon for the first time in half a century. The agency said the second rehearsal was planned after crews replaced a filter in ground support equipment that the team suspected reduced fuel flow during a partial refueling test on Feb. 12.
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During the wet dress rehearsal, the launch team and support teams completed most of the mission’s launch process, including loading fuel into the Space Launch System (SLS rocket), conducting a final countdown, and practicing procedures for clearing the launch.
NASA said the Artemis 2 astronaut crew will not participate in rehearsals, but the crew will head to the launch pad to practice finishing procedures for the Orion capsule.
NASA conducted its first wet rehearsal for Artemis 2 on February 2, but eventually discovered a hydrogen fuel leak in the SLS, similar to what Artemis 1 encountered before launch.
The agency said an official launch date will not be set until after a second rehearsal and data review.
“While NASA will not determine an official launch date until a successful rehearsal and data review, the agency has been evaluating in recent weeks whether there are other suitable days for launch and has identified additional opportunities during the first week of March,” the agency said. “However, managers have determined March 6 as the earliest launch opportunity to allow for a second wet rehearsal, sufficient time for data review, and time to transition the launch pad, rocket, and spacecraft to launch operations.”
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