NASA is preparing for the final test of the spacecraft, launch vehicle and ground systems that will drive the Artemis I lunar flyby mission.
The Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System and Exploration Ground Systems will undergo a wet dress rehearsal, where they will demonstrate propellant loading and a launch countdown, the space agency said Friday.
The two-day test will begin with the activation of facility systems needed for launching. Staff at Kennedy Space Center will man a launch control system and communicate with personnel from Johnson Space Center, the Space Force Eastern Range and the SLS Engineering Support Center within Alabama-based Marshall Space Flight Center.
The space agency will use the rehearsal’s data to determine the mission’s exact launch date and roll the mission components back to the Vehicle Assembly Building, where technicians will prepare Orion for the actual launch.
Artemis I will be the first in a series of missions that aim to eventually revive manned space exploration.
