NASA teams at Kennedy Space Center are entering a decisive phase of preparations for the Artemis II mission, as engineers ready the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft for a crucial prelaunch fueling test expected later this week.
Officials say work on the rocket, spacecraft, and launch infrastructure remains on schedule or ahead of expectations as the agency moves toward conducting a wet dress rehearsal, a full scale simulation of launch day operations that includes fueling the rocket and running through countdown procedures.
What the Wet Dress Rehearsal Will Test
The wet dress rehearsal is designed to validate the launch team’s ability to safely load more than 700,000 gallons of super cold propellants into the SLS rocket, perform a complete launch countdown, and then drain the fuel without astronauts aboard.
During the test, teams will rehearse key moments of the final countdown sequence, including multiple planned holds, resumes, and recycling of the clock in the final ten minutes before liftoff. The simulation is expected to conclude with a mock launch late Saturday night, though operations could extend into early Sunday if additional testing is required.
Engineers will also test the transition to the rocket’s automatic launch sequencer, which takes control during the final seconds before launch, ensuring systems perform as expected under realistic conditions.
