This past weekend, ground crews at the Kennedy Space Center replaced a filter in the ground support equipment used for propellant loading. This filter was suspected of reducing the flow of liquid hydrogen into the Core Stage during the wet dress rehearsal of the *Artemis II* rocket on Feb. 12th. The test provided the engineers with enough data to prepare for a second wet dress rehearsal, which NASA is targeting for Thursday, Feb. 19th. This test will put the launch team and supporting teams through a full range of operations.
This will include cryogenic propellant loading into the *Space Launch System* (SLS), conducting a launch countdown, demonstrating the ability to recycle the countdown clock, and then detanking to practice launch scrub procedures. Preparations for the test will commence today at 6:40 p.m. EST (03:40 p.m. PST) as launch controllers arrive at their consoles in the Launch Control Center to begin the almost 50-hour countdown. At 8:30 p.m. EST (05:30 p.m. PST) on Feb. 19th, the simulated launch will begin with a four-hour window.
During rehearsal, the team will execute two detailed countdown sequences simulating the final ten minutes before launch (the terminal count). They will pause the countdown twice during the run, first at T-1:30 and again at T-33 seconds, before cycling the clock back to T-10 minutes for the second run. This process simulates what can occur during an actual launch, where technical or weather issues can cause delays or lead to a launch being scrubbed. Once the rehearsal is complete, NASA will review the data and set a formal launch date, which they are currently targeting for March.
In recent weeks, the agency has been evaluating additional launch opportunities and has identified one for the first week of March. However, managers also determined that March 6th is the earliest opportunity that allows for a second wet dress rehearsal, enough time for data review, and for the teams to transition the Artemis II rocket to the launch pad. Regardless of when the launch occurs, there is no doubt that *Artemis II* will be a major event that inspires countless people worldwide. It will also be a stepping stone toward NASA's long-awaited return to the Moon and a huge comeback for the agency.
In recent years, NASA has been dogged by budget cuts, cancelled programs, mass layoffs, and shaky political leadership, which have led many to doubt whether it can maintain its leadership in space. With China and other nations demonstrating new capabilities and mounting increasingly ambitious missions, who would win the "second race to the Moon" is currently in question. A successful circumlunar flight with a crewed spacecraft would place NASA far ahead of the competition and will be the curtain-raiser for landing astronauts on the lunar surface for the first time in over sixty years.
While the rocket is already subject to a 24/7 live stream, special coverage involving additional camera views will be set up for the wet dress rehearsal and will be available online. These will be accessible via the agency's Artemis blog.
Further Reading: NASA