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DannyB [soylentnews.org] writes:

Engine computer problem delays first SLS launch [spacenews.com]

A malfunctioning computer in one of the four main engines of the Space Launch System will delay that vehicle’s first launch to no earlier than March.

In a statement late Dec. 17, NASA announced that SLS engineers decided they needed to replace the controller for engine four in the core stage of the SLS. One of two redundant channels in the controller failed to power up consistently during tests of the integrated vehicle at the Kennedy Space Center.

That controller operated as expected during the core stage’s Green Run test campaign at the Stennis Space Center that concluded with a full-duration static-fire test in March. An initial investigation failed to identify the root cause of the problem.

[....] Even before this latest issue, there were doubts that SLS would be ready when the first launch opportunity opened Feb. 12. Before the launch itself, NASA will roll SLS out to Launch Complex 39B for tests, including a wet dress rehearsal where the rocket is loaded with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants and goes through a practice countdown that stops just before engine ignition.

Industry sources said that rollout needed to take place by the end of the December to keep preparations for a February launch on schedule. However, as of Dec. 10, NASA said the program was planning a rollout in mid-January.

Re-arranging left over space shuttle parts takes longer than the entire Apollo program.

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