Hydrogen leak detected during today’s SLS tank test
Though engineers have apparently overcome the issue so that today’s tank test of NASA’s SLS rocket can continue, a hydrogen leak was nonetheless detected during fueling.
The fueling tank test is not yet complete.
At this moment I cannot imagine the military’s range office will allow NASA to launch on September 27th, as the agency has requested. To do so will require the range to ignore the possibility that the flight termination is inoperable, as its batteries are past their use-by date by almost a month. Combined with these ongoing leak issues, it would be irresponsible to do otherwise.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Though engineers have apparently overcome the issue so that today’s tank test of NASA’s SLS rocket can continue, a hydrogen leak was nonetheless detected during fueling.
The fueling tank test is not yet complete.
At this moment I cannot imagine the military’s range office will allow NASA to launch on September 27th, as the agency has requested. To do so will require the range to ignore the possibility that the flight termination is inoperable, as its batteries are past their use-by date by almost a month. Combined with these ongoing leak issues, it would be irresponsible to do otherwise.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
The lousy work of NASA in general is embarrassing to me as an American that has followed this once great organization since the Project Mercury days. However, the governmental incompetence of the Federal government is like a disease and organizational ennui is there for all to see. Poor leadership, incompetent engineering and lack of real vision has rendered NASA a ghost of its former glory. Very sad.
Supposedly the battery manufacturer has provided data showing that there is an enormous margin in that “use-by-date” and they are still plenty capable for the purpose. The NASA SLS team is apparently confident that the Air Force will approve a waiver. We’ll see.
It’s a real eye opener how after all the hand-wringing over safety and verification and needing insight and hands-on reviews of everything Boeing and SpaceX do in the CRS program, when it’s THEIR program on the line, suddenly all the rules and checks are optional.
I am not surprised by this mishap today. They should roll this thing back in and replace the batteries while they work on the valves because this thing is going nowhere soon. And why has a decision not been made. You know what the decision would be if it was a ‘SpaceX rocket.
This has always been just a fueling test. If it fills to the top NASA will be happy.
A launch was never expected. Thus they can skip the battery problem.
I do not think they ever expected to actually launch the thing before October..