Washington: The latest test of NASA’s giant SLS rocket has been suspended to allow a SpaceX rocket to be launched later this week, the US space agency announced on Tuesday. The rehearsal for the giant Space Launch System takes place on the 39B launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida – where SpaceX is scheduled to take off from the 39A pad on Friday. The test of the rocket, which is going to return humans to the Moon, is now expected to resume shortly after the take-off of SpaceX flight, which will transport three businessmen and a former astronaut to the International Space Station. The 322-foot (98 meters) SLS rocket will remain on the launch pad while waiting. In this final pre-launch test for the Moon later this year, all the steps leading to the launch must be repeated, from filling the tanks to the final countdown, which will stop shortly before the engines start. The run began last Friday and was originally scheduled to last two days, but was extended after NASA teams faced “a myriad of technical challenges” as well as uncooperative weather on Saturday, said Mike Sarafin, the mission’s director for moon Artemis. landing. Among the problems encountered were four lightning strikes that struck the launch pad during a storm, which at least proved that the protection system had worked as planned. But the problems were not “major issues,” Sarafin said. “We have not encountered any major design flaws or design problems.” “We are proud to learn from these tests,” he said, describing those that have taken place in recent days as “partly successful”. Artemis 1 will mark the first flight of the SLS, whose development has been delayed for years. The Orion capsule at its top will be propelled to the Moon, where it will be placed in orbit before returning to Earth. The first mission will not have astronauts. The take-off date will be announced after the so-called “wet” rehearsal general. A launch window is possible in early June and Sarafin said he was “not ready to give it up yet”. Another start window is possible in early July. (Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is being published by a synergy stream.)
