Orion Launch Scrubbed For 24 Hours

Waiting on a New Day. Image Credit NASA

After a litany of minor issues mostly relating to ground wind speed constraints, today’s launch of NASA’s EFT-1 and a test Orion spacecraft aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta Heavy was delayed repeatedly, and ultimately scrubbed. The final problem, which managers were not able to resolve in time, occurred with balky liquid hydrogen fill and drain valves in the two of the Delta Heavy’s three booster cores.  Flight engineers had been trying to cycle valves on all three cores for five times in order to clear the issue, when a closing launch window and dropping battery charges on on-board cameras conspired to call an end to today’s effort.

NASA and ULA have reset the clock for a new effort and a launch window opening at 7:05 AM ET on Friday, December 5th.

Posted in: SLS / Orion

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