Orlando, Fla. — NASA is moving forward with the assembly of its Artemis moon megarocket.
The main core of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket will undergo a test-firing on Saturday in Mississippi before traveling to the Kennedy Space Center by barge.
NASA is targeting a two-hour test window that opens at 5 p.m. on Jan. 16.
Live coverage will begin at 4:20 p.m. on NASA Television, “followed by a post-test briefing approximately two hours after the test concludes.”
This hot fire is the eighth and final test to ensure the core stage of the SLS rocket is ready to launch Artemis missions to the Moon.
“During the test, engineers will power up all the core stage systems, load more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic, or supercold, propellant into the tanks, and fire all four engines at the same time to simulate the stage’s operation during launch, generating 1.6 million pounds of thrust,” according to a NASA media advisory.
Work is also being completed on the Orion crew capsule before an unmanned launch is planned for November.
Cox Media Group
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