NASA is looking forward to the launch of Artemis 2, heading this weekend for a critical refueling test that is one of the last hurdles to clear before liftoff.
The agency had planned to conduct a “wet suit practice” of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on February 2, but said on Monday that it intends to complete the test on Saturday, January 31, early. If it goes without a hitch, Artemis 2 could launch on February 6, sending a crew of four astronauts on a 10-day flight around the Moon.
Anticipation for Artemis 2 has been building for years. Repeated delays have set back the longest return in human history from deep space, so this schedule improvement is a welcome change. A February launch would mark a significant jump from NASA’s previous timeline, which was aimed at no earlier than April.
There is a catch, however. An Arctic blast and a coastal storm system are expected to bring frigid temperatures and blustery winds to NASA’s Cape Canaveral facility in Florida over the weekend. This may interfere with the organization’s wetsuit plans.
“With cold weather affecting the country and below normal temperatures expected in Florida on Tuesday, Jan. 27, experts are taking steps to ensure that the environmental control systems that keep the elements of Orion and SLS in the right conditions are prepared for the cold,” NASA said on Monday.
What is wetsuit practice?
The SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft—which will carry the Artemis 2 astronauts—are fully loaded and sitting atop Launch Pad 39 B at the Kennedy Space Center. Before the mission is launched, NASA must conduct a wetsuit practice to practice the launch and launch procedures and ensure that all of the rocket’s integrated and ground systems are working properly.
During the exercise, the launch team will load the SLS with more than 700,000 liters (2.6 million liters) of cryogenic propellant. They will then conduct a countdown launch without firing the rocket boosters, and practice safely removing the propellant from the rocket. The Artemis 2 crew will not be inside the Orion spacecraft during this test.
NASA will conduct several “runs” that will test the launch team’s ability to hold, restart, and recycle at different times during the final 10-minute countdown, or “end count.” Practice will count down to a scheduled start at 9 pm ET, but may continue until approximately 1 am if there is a need for scheduled maintenance, troubleshooting, or additional testing.
How can cold weather interfere?
According to the National Weather Service, another arctic blast will blow south across the northern Plains on Thursday night and reach the Gulf Coast on Friday night. This cold front will bring below average temperatures to states as far away as Florida. As of Thursday morning, the low at Cape Canaveral on Saturday was forecast to reach 27 degrees Fahrenheit (-3 degrees Celsius).
Meanwhile, a powerful storm moving from the Gulf of Mexico to the Western Atlantic is on track to reach the Southeast Coast on Friday. This system will help pull Arctic air across the Eastern US and produce warm winds that could send air chills down Saturday night.
According to NASA’s Artemis 2 weather forecast, the launch team cannot load the SLS with propellant if the temperature at both 132.5 feet (40.4 meters) and 257.5 feet (78.5 meters) drops below 41.4 degrees F (5.2 degrees C). That’s because cold ambient temperatures can disrupt fuel tanks by making seals and valves brittle, causing ice to form on the hardware, and creating thermal gradients between the super-cold cryogenic fuel and other parts of the rocket.
If temperatures drop below this threshold on Saturday, NASA will likely postpone the wetsuit practice. But with frigid temperatures expected to continue through the first half of February, it’s unclear when their next chance will appear.
