Fuel leak thwarts NASAs dress rehearsal for moon rocket

NASAs latest effort to sustain its big moon rocket for a countdown test has actually been prevented by a harmful hydrogen leakBy MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace WriterApril 14, 2022, 10:40 PM – 2 minutes readShare to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this articleCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.– NASAs latest effort to fuel its huge moon rocket for a countdown test was prevented Thursday by a dangerous hydrogen leak, the most current in a series of vexing devices trouble.The launch team had actually simply begun packing fuel into the core phase of the rocket when the leakage cropped up. This was NASAs 3rd shot at a gown practice session, a necessary step ahead of a test flight to the moon.This time, the launch group managed to load some super-cold liquid hydrogen and oxygen into the core stage of the 30-story Space Launch System rocket, however fell far brief of the complete amount. The helium valve inside the upper phase can not be replaced till the rocket is back in its hangar at Kennedy Space Center.Two previous countdown attempts were marred by balky fans and a large hand-operated valve that employees wrongly left closed at the pad last week.Officials said via Twitter that theyre examining their next steps.NASA had been targeting June for the launch debut of the 322-foot (98-meter) SLS rocket.