NASA
NASA Tests New Liquid Hydrogen Tank for Crewed Artemis Missions (News Release)
As teams get ready for the first crewed Artemis mission, which will take a crew of four around the Moon and back in 10 days, engineers with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program tested the new liquid hydrogen sphere, which holds one of the cryogenic propellants used to power the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, at Launch Complex 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
To minimize time between launch attempts since SLS holds approximately 600,000 gallons of chilled liquid hydrogen, the team built an additional liquid hydrogen storage sphere at the launch pad. To ensure that the tank functions properly and can safely flow the -423° Fahrenheit super-cool liquid gas to the Mobile Launcher and SLS during launch countdown, the Artemis launch team successfully practiced flowing liquid hydrogen from both tanks to ensure there were no issues.
Once SLS and the Orion spacecraft are stacked, teams will roll the vehicle to the pad for a wet dress rehearsal, which will allow another opportunity to test the new hydrogen sphere prior to launch. This marks the completion of the final ground system verification and validation test for Artemis II. In the meantime, integrated testing with SLS and Orion continue inside Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building prior to rolling out to the pad for launch.
Source: NASA.Gov
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