NASA cancels Artemis 1 launch due to hydrogen leak

NASA canceled its second attempt to fly the Artemis 1 test flight on a mission to send an unmanned Orion crew capsule on a 37-day journey around the moon and back.

Engineers started fuelling the Space Launch System rocket at around 6 a.m. EDT on Saturday, setting the scene for liftoff at 2:17 p.m., the beginning of a two-hour launch window.

The launch on Saturday was unfortunately canceled owing to a hydrogen leak. The decision was revealed at 11:18 a.m. EDT, almost 25 minutes after the launch team advised against proceeding.

NASA was originally planned to launch on Monday morning, but fuelling issues necessitated a postponement just before the launch window opened.

The Space Launch System moon rocket atop pad 39B on Monday, August 29, 2022, awaiting launch on a mission to deliver an uncrewed Orion capsule on a 42-day shakedown voyage beyond and back to the moon. NASA

The SLS rocket, the most powerful booster ever constructed by NASA and its contractors, must meet 489 launch commit conditions before it can be launched.

Mission manager Mike Sarafin told reporters during a Thursday evening press conference, “There are a variety of reasons that might prevent us from launching on any particular day.” “There is no assurance we will depart (Saturday). However, we will come up, we will attempt, and we will do our best.”