WASHINGTON: NASA announced the successful completion of a wet dress rehearsal for its powerful Space Launch System rocket, marking a crucial step toward the Artemis 2 mission that aims to send astronauts around the Moon for the first time in more than five decades.
Earlier this month, technical issues cut short an initial wet dress rehearsal of the Artemis 2 mission. However, Thursday’s exercise proceeded smoothly, concluding at “T-29 seconds” in the countdown, according to the US space agency.
According to AFP, NASA is expected to set a firm launch date soon and plans to brief the media on Friday.
The wet dress rehearsal simulates real launch conditions, with full rocket tanks and detailed technical checks, at Cape Canaveral in Florida. Engineers use the exercise to practice every maneuver required for a real launch.
The February setback, which included a liquid hydrogen leak, had dashed hopes of a lift-off this month, moving the earliest possible launch date to March 6.
Artemis 2 will be the first crewed mission to fly past the Moon in more than 50 years, with a crew comprising three Americans and one Canadian astronaut.
