Saturday, September 3, 2022

Bonus! Moonshot Song o' the Day: Artemis I

Better Late Than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!
Republica, "Ready to Go" from Republica (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:
"Baby, are you ready to go?…"
The answer, manifestly, is no. Further launch attempts within the curent launch window were cancelled this morning when today's launch was scrubbed. It is important to take as much time as is necessary to ensure the safest possible launch, but in the cold light of back-to-back scrubs it is clear this launch attempt was really more of a second wet dress rehearsal; the ground crew at the Kennedy Space Center is not even remotely ready to launch the Space Launch System rocket (S.L.S.). Even if the persistent hydrogen leaks can be fixed at the launch pad, which has the benefit of allowing the system to then be checked at cryogenic temperatures, it will be necessary to return the Artemis I S.L.S. to the Vehicle Assembly Building to replace range-safety equipment which has only a three-week certification.

I fear we shan't see another launch attempt (which I hope will not be a third wet dress rehearsal) until the late October window. "We are going!," but not for weeks, possibly not even for months.


Ad astra per aspera.

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