NASA sees “reasonable chance” of first SLS launch this year - SpaceNews

WASHINGTON — NASA remains cautiously optimistic that the first launch of the Space Launch System rocket can take place before the end of the year despite having to perform a second hotfire test of the rocket’s core stage.

That test, the culmination of the Green Run test campaign for the core stage that started in early 2020, is scheduled for Feb.

This second Green Run hotfire test is taking place because the first one, Jan.

NASA officials initially suggested it could move ahead with launch preparations without a second Green Run test, but concluded that a second hotfire test could be done with minimal risk to the core stage, which will be flown on the Artemis 1 launch.

“We are pleased that NASA decided to proceed with a second attempt at a full-duration burn of the core section in order to obtain the vital data in that last step in the Green Run series of tests,” Patricia Sanders, chair of the panel, said at its Feb.

He estimated that, if the second test went well, the core stage could be refurbished and placed on a barge for shipment to the Kennedy Space Center in about 30 days.

Once at KSC, the core stage will be integrated with its two five-segment solid rocket boosters, upper stage and Orion spacecraft for the Artemis 1 launch.

NASA has previously said that launch would take place in November, but even before the first hotfire test in January acknowledged that there was limited margin in that schedule.