NASA on Saturday began a two-day exercise countdown leading up to the fueling of its new moon rocket, a crucial test that will determine when four astronauts will blast off on a lunar flyby.
Already in quarantine to avoid germs, Commander Reid Wiseman and his crew will be the first humans to launch to the moon since 1972. (AP)Already in quarantine to avoid germs, Commander Reid Wiseman and his crew will be the first to launch to the moon since 1972. They will observe a dress rehearsal from their Houston base before heading to Kennedy Space Center once the rocket is cleared for flight.
The 322-foot (98-meter) Space Launch System rocket moved to the pad two weeks ago. If Monday’s fuel test goes well, NASA could try to launch within a week. Teams will fill the rocket’s tank with more than 700,000 gallons of super-cold fuel, stopping in half a minute when the engines light up.
A bitter cold spell delayed the fuel demo, and launch, by two days. The rocket could now explode on February 8.
Aboard the Orion capsule atop the rocket, US and Canadian astronauts would race around the moon and then return straight back without stopping until they splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. The mission will last about 10 days.
NASA sent 24 astronauts to the moon during the Apollo program from 1968 to 1972. Twelve of them walked on the surface.