Moon rocket to return to VAB for repairs ahead of ‘wet dress rehearsal’

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — NASA’s Artemis I Moon rocket is set to make its way back to the Vehicle Assembly Building to begin repairs in preparation for next week’s wet dress rehearsal.

At 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Artemis I is scheduled to leave launch pad 39B and begin its 4-mile journey atop the crawler-transporter back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

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After returning to the VAB, teams will replace a faulty upper stage check valve and a small leak within the tail service mast umbilical ground plate housing on the mobile launcher.

The supplier for the gaseous nitrogen will also upgrade its pipeline configuration to support Artemis I testing and launch.

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Next week’s test, known as the “wet dress rehearsal,” will run the Artemis I launch team through a variety of tests, including a full launch countdown and other procedures the team will use for launch.

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Artemis I is the first in a series of missions that NASA says will pave the way for future crewed missions to the moon and Mars.

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