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Mission Managers Give “Go” to Proceed Toward Tanking Operations for Artemis I – Artemis [1]
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Date: 2022-11-15
The Artemis I mission management team met today to review the status of operations and has given the “go” to proceed toward tanking operations. Weather conditions are 80% favorable for the two-hour launch window which opens at 1:04 a.m. EST Nov. 16, with the primary concern being the potential for thick clouds.
Launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson is expected to give the “go” shortly to officially begin propellant loading operations. During tanking operations, teams will load the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid hydrogen (LH2), beginning with the rocket’s core stage and then the interim cryogenic propulsion stage.
Tanking begins with chilling down the LOX and LH2 lines for the core stage. In sequential fashion, LOX and LH2 will flow into the rocket’s core stage tank and be topped off and replenished as some of the cryogenic propellant boils off. The process involves slowly filling the core stage with propellant to thermally condition the tank until temperature and pressure are stable before beginning fast fill operations, which is when the tank is filled at a quicker pump speed. As the super cold liquid oxygen fills the core stage tank, some venting may be visible.
At 3:30 p.m., NASA TV coverage begins with commentary of tanking operations to load propellant into the SLS rocket. Full coverage begins at 10:30 p.m. in English and at midnight Wednesday, Spanish coverage begins on NASA en español YouTube page.
Below are the countdown milestones as planned for tanking:
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[1] Url:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2022/11/15/mission-managers-give-go-to-proceed-toward-tanking-operations-for-artemis-i-2/
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