Huntsville’s Artemis I rocket returned to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida Monday morning for its second wet dress rehearsal.
This could be a final test before NASA sets a launch date for the uncrewed Artemis I mission to the moon.
A wet dress rehearsal is a test that evaluates whether or not the rocket is prepared to reach orbit by assessing the fully assembled launch vehicle and ground support equipment. It’s called “wet” because liquid propellant components, like liquid oxygen and hydrogen, are loaded into the rocket during the test.
The 322-foot Artemis I is Huntsville's most powerful rocket.
Artemis I could take humans to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years and later send the first humans to Mars.
The first wet dress rehearsal for Artemis I took place on April 1 and demonstrated issues with a helium propellant pressurization system check valve, a liquid hydrogen leak and ground support systems.
Artemis I departed from the Vehicle Assembly Building around 11:10 p.m. Sunday to travel eight hours to Launchpad 39B on Merritt Island, Fla., where it arrived at 7:20 a.m. Monday.
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