When will the space agency get another shot? They're still figuring that out:
NASA will not slingshot a spacecraft around the moon this week following two previous called-off launch attempts, officials confirmed at a news conference Saturday evening.
That means the team will likely haul the gigantic, 322-foot Space Launch System rocket back to its hangar, the Vehicle Assembly Building, and perhaps take another shot at the moon in October. The U.S. space agency is bumping up against a launch blackout period and can't conflict with a SpaceX flight carrying astronauts to the International Space Station in a few weeks.
[...] Mission leaders are weighing various options and will announce next steps in about a week. Engineers and technicians may perform some work at the platform before the rocket leaves the launchpad.
Launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson canceled the second launch attempt a little after 11 a.m. on Saturday, after the team discovered a large fuel leak that engineers couldn't stop. The liquid hydrogen seeping out was two or three times the permissible level, Sarafin said. When high concentrations of hydrogen are mixed in the air, there is a high risk for flammability.
"It was pretty clear that we weren't going to be able to work our way through it like we did on Monday, in terms of managing the leak," he said.
NASA is still investigating the cause of the leak. One possibility the team will look into is whether an accidental overpressurization of the fuel line earlier in the morning could have been the culprit.
(Score: 2) by Opportunist on Tuesday September 06 2022, @10:25AM (3 children)
It's still better than the N1 approach. I.e. "it builds, launch it and cross your fingers".
(Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday September 07 2022, @12:06AM (1 child)
Basically, there are huge risks in the system, and NASA's engineering approach will be to hope those risks don't happen.
(Score: 2) by Opportunist on Wednesday September 07 2022, @10:50PM
Say what you want about von Braun, but in one thing he was absolutely right to put his foot down: No solid boosters on man-rated rockets, period!
(Score: 2) by Beryllium Sphere (r) on Wednesday September 07 2022, @01:52AM
I forget who came up with it but there's a fundamental principle that the N-1 violated.
The phrasing was something close to "Any complex system that works will inevitably be found to have evolved from a simpler system that worked".
(Score: 4, Touché) by Snotnose on Tuesday September 06 2022, @11:31AM (1 child)
I guess not idiots, they did get a cost plus contract. They're re-using 40 year old tech and re-experiencing 40 years of problems.
Not to mention, they're proud they're getting 15% more thrust than the Saturn-V. Hate to say it, but 15% improvement in 50 years is, well, evidently good enough for government work.
Of course I'm against DEI. Donald, Eric, and Ivanka.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 06 2022, @12:28PM
It was the humble hydrogen molecule wot done it. It tends to leak.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 06 2022, @11:41AM
And in totally (no, really!) unrelated news, the paperwork necessary for SpaceX to fly their Starship rocket will not be approved for the time being. The dog ate it.
(Score: 1) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday September 06 2022, @12:21PM
China had their Jade Rabbit, we have our White Elephant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5zsUatKGmg [youtube.com]
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Tuesday September 06 2022, @02:36PM (1 child)
... doing stuff is hard
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 06 2022, @02:56PM
It's real hard when you get paid more for failing. 👀