The two-day show – the last major milestone before launching to the moon – will culminate on Sunday as teams load nearly 1 million gallons of superheated fuel into the cushion rocket.  The countdown will stop at the 9 second mark before the engines start.
NASA plans to set a launch date after analyzing the results of the rehearsal for the Space Launch System rocket – for short SLS.
Officials have suggested the rocket could explode as early as June, sending the Orion crew’s attached capsule to launch to the moon.  The capsule will spend at least a month in space before returning to Earth.
No one will be on board for the first lunar capture since NASA’s Apollo landing on the Moon half a century ago.  The astronauts will remain for the second test flight scheduled for 2024, circling the moon and back.  This would pave the way for astronauts to land on the moon around 2025, according to NASA.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office recently warned, however, that there are still technical challenges – especially with the lunar podium and space suits – that could further delay landing on the moon, years already behind schedule.  The GAO also reported billions in escalating costs.
At 322 feet (98 meters) high, the rocket made its debut on the launch pad of the Kennedy Space Center two weeks ago.  Since then, all its systems have been activated in preparation for this weekend’s test.  Officials stressed that possible storms or technical problems could delay the rehearsal.
NASA has promised to provide updates throughout the weekend, but the public will not be able to hear.  The space agency cited security concerns.
“We are being careful – we are paying close attention – and this is especially true in the environment we are in today,” said Tom Whitmeyer, head of NASA’s exploration systems development.
NASA expects to announce the crews for the initial lunar missions this summer.  The group of candidates includes nine men and nine women.  two are on the International Space Station and two are going to be there in a few weeks.
Twenty-four astronauts flew to the Moon during Apollo from 1968 to 1972. 12 landed on the lunar surface.
Unlike Apollo, NASA is collaborating with private companies on the moon program, named Artemis by Apollo’s twin sister in Greek mythology.  While the NASA rocket and capsule will carry the astronauts to lunar orbit, the still-under development SpaceX Starship will take them to the lunar surface, at least for the first mission.  NASA is looking for additional companies for later landings.
The goal of the space agency is to develop a sustainable presence on the moon and then target Mars.  NASA administrator Bill Nelson recently mentioned 2040 as the target for a Martian astronaut mission.
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