When is the NASA SLS launch date?

[Lord Rory Gin]

My best guess is late April at the earliest depending on any further delays to the process. Given the YEARS of delays the vehicle has experienced a few more weeks won't hurt. NASA definitely isn't on the same type of timetable or efficiency that SpaceX has been on. I'm curious as to which will actually launch first - SLS or Starship (tentatively for May)?

Now that the SLS is being rolled out to the pad they have some additional testing to do (roughly a week) and then complete a wet rehearsal which should take about 2 days. Then after a short period (est. to be several days) the SLS will be rolled back to the assembly building where they will remove the sensors, recharge batteries, and run final checks. NASA will commit to a launch date following the wet rehearsal. Once complete they will roll it back out to the pad and roughly a week later will launch the unmanned spacecraft.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-readies-rocket-for-artemis-i-wet-dress-rehearsal

 

[Antares JS]

I've heard NET June, but I'm not sure where I heard that and could be wrong.

 

[Scott_650]

I've heard NET June, but I'm not sure where I heard that and could be wrong.

Here’s some info from one of the spaceflight fan sites that seems to have the best guess info on which missions are launching when. Since there’s already a couple SpaceX launches scheduled for Pad 39A it looks like the June launch window is the soonest that Artemis 1 can go. http://launchphotography.com/Launch_Viewing_Guide.html.

 

[Lord Rory Gin]

Here’s some info from one of the spaceflight fan sites that seems to have the best guess info on which missions are launching when. Since there’s already a couple SpaceX launches scheduled for Pad 39A it looks like the June launch window is the soonest that Artemis 1 can go. http://launchphotography.com/Launch_Viewing_Guide.html.View attachment 510647

Thanks for the launch information. I am contemplating a trip down to the Cape sometime this year. June sounds as good as anything offered yet. Pad 39A has some local ties to it. Many of the pads like 39A were lined with fire brick made in Avonlea, Sk - about 80 kms from me.
Edit: after checking the weather - May looks like a better time to visit rather than June. I'm not a lover of heat/humidity.

 

[mikec]

Launch schedules are always kind of a crapshoot, but SLS is likely to be even more uncertain than usual.

If you just want to see some launch, not SLS specifically, IMHO your best bet is the Psyche launch on Falcon Heavy, currently scheduled for 1 August. Planetary missions have tighter windows and tend to slip less as a rule (but not always). That said, Cocoa Beach can be pretty brutal in August weather-wise.

 

[MidOH]

April $1 trillionth. Lol.

 

[Mugs914]

Hahaha!! Oh wait, what?

Based on the thread title I came here expecting a punch line...

 

[cerving]

With their luck, they'll burn an igniter and have to recycle.

 

[DaHabes]

Currently the launch is NET June 2022. The are two phone apps you can use to track space fights, Next Spaceflight and Space Launch Now. Space Launch Now generally has more flights listed than Next Spaceflight, but they both have all of the US flights. The differences seem to be in the listings of Russia and China flights, which don't match between the two apps.

 

[Cape Byron]

1st of April...







... Just kidding!!

 

[Antares JS]

1st of April...

That is when the WDR is supposed to start, if you can believe that.

 

[Cape Byron]

That is when the WDR is supposed to start, if you can believe that.

WDR?

 

[Antares JS]

WDR?

Wet Dress Rehearsal

 

[Cape Byron]

Wet Dress Rehearsal

Thank you. Sometimes I'm a SFB.

 

[Arnie]

Better get down there for this one if you can....at 4.1 billion dollars a shot, they won't be launching 13 of them like they did the Saturn V

 

[Peartree]

Better get down there for this one if you can....at 4.1 billion dollars a shot, they won't be launching 13 of them like they did the Saturn V

They'll be lucky to launch two.

 

[mikec]

I'm not a big fan of SLS but accounting for inflation, it's cheaper per flight that the Saturn V was. See https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=6742.0 for some analysis that put the per-flight cost of Saturn V at $7.3B per flight in 2007 dollars. Of course a lot of this depends on how you compute the costs.

 

[rharshberger]

They'll be lucky to launch two.

and thats only if they have the hardware for two of them already....

 

[Scott_650]

I'm not a big fan of SLS but accounting for inflation, it's cheaper per flight that the Saturn V was. See https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=6742.0 for some analysis that put the per-flight cost of Saturn V at $7.3B per flight in 2007 dollars. Of course a lot of this depends on how you compute the costs.

Trying to untangle government accounting is really frustrating - even at my (former) “end user” level - known as a “cost center” - it was tough to see the forest for the trees. You have so many factors, so many sources for funds, restrictions on what money can be spent where, material costs buried in operating costs, physical “things” that are accounted for as “services” (and the reverse as well!), prior fiscal year funds that can be spent on a continuing basis, cost-plus and sole source contracts, real-property cost, investment item costs, accountable equipment costs, internal costs (charging what one functional area needs back to another functional area - both for materials and/or services/labor)…trying to figure out what the per use costs of launching Artemis missions on the SLS has to approach the math needed to do interplanetary orbits! The bottom line is that each launch is going to burn a bunch of tax dollars regardless of how it’s calculated so eventually, if the mission can be outsourced for a lower per budget cycle cost, it will be. Using up the legacy stuff from the Shuttle program was never going to save money - it was a way to keep the status quo in place as much as possible and kick heavy lift launch needs down the road. Which kind of worked since after a couple or three SLS launches Artemis missions will go up on a SpaceX Starship or it’s follow on vehicle. The money was going to get spent, one way or another (that’s how government spending works - needs ALWAYS expand to cover available resources and as soon as Congress passes the budget and the POTUS signs the bill the money is gone, all the accounting is done after the fact to justify next year’s budget).

 

[billpr]

Hope it doesn't become a hanger queen.

 

[georgegassaway]

Planetary missions have tighter windows and tend to slip less as a rule (but not always).

Since this will not involve a lunar landing, I do not think they have a window constraint like Apollo did (wanted the sun to be low on the horizon, behind the LM, so surface shadows would have lot of depth. Also, the shadow if the LM itself would be right in front, very useful as a visual height reference and rate of descent reference, in addition to the instrument readings). IIRC the window for Apollo landings was 1 to 3 days (not sure which), otherwise wait another lunar cycle.

In any case, I agree that is is a crapshoot to make any travel plans based on a launch months away. In 1983, I made use of a great airline deal (book one flight, get a second flight FREE) to go to a contest near Orlando, and spend over a week with someone I knew there, because Challenger was scheduled to make its first flight when I booked the flight. Then it had an engine issue and was delayed 6 weeks (I flew down anyway, and did the contest). I never tried to see a launch after that, given the 600 mile trip. Ironically I did finally get to see a shuttle launch, in 1992, but all by coincidence as I was already scheduled to be in the area for a totally different reason during a certain date range. STS-47 was scheduled to launch in June, then slipped to July, then slipped to August. And finally slipped into perfect timing to launch the day after I arrived.

 

[Lord Rory Gin]

The SLS rocket is available for photo ops from March 29 - April 12. After which it will be rolled back to the assembly building to remove the sensors and final checks.
https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/...vent-exclusive-photo-opportunity-of-artemis-i

The launch window is tentatively planned for May from pad 39B not 39A as previously suggested. Take that with a grain of salt as launch dates come and go.
https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/...r/2022/march/rocket-launch-nasa-sls-artemis-i

 

[Antares JS]

NET God only knows... what an absolute cluster.

There were problems with a valve on the second stage during the WDR. Now they are deciding whether they can do without testing that part before the actual launch.

Meanwhile, the boosters have already been stacked for too long. Per the manufacturer, they are only supposed to stand fully stacked for a year before flying. They will need another extension if they can't launch by July.

https://spacenews.com/nasa-defends-decision-to-proceed-with-modified-sls-countdown-test/

 

[cerving]

Plumbing issues in a rocket like this are very disconcerting, and if they can't do a full-up WDR then they should put the thing back into the VAB, pull the stack apart, and go over it with a fine toothed comb. If the first time that they ever fuel the second stage is for the Artemis 1 launch, and something does not go as planned, you can kiss the whole project goodbye, along with NASA's credibility. I'm betting that Elon is going to beat them to the Moon anyway...

 

[Antares JS]

(...) you can kiss the whole project goodbye...

At this point, I'm not so sure that would be a bad thing.

...along with NASA's credibility.

I was going to say that NASA's other contemporary programs (Mars rovers, ISS, etc.) have been resounding successes, but the average layman probably won't think of that so you're probably right.

SLS would have been great to have 5-10 years ago. Now it's probably going to be rendered obsolete pretty quickly after its first flight.

 

[jazzviper1]

When? The 33rd of never!

 

[kuririn]

Both of mine launched some time ago.
Heh.

 

[Scott_650]

At this point, I'm not so sure that would be a bad thing.



I was going to say that NASA's other contemporary programs (Mars rovers, ISS, etc.) have been resounding successes, but the average layman probably won't think of that so you're probably right.

SLS would have been great to have 5-10 years ago. Now it's probably going to be rendered obsolete pretty quickly after its first flight.

It’s already obsolete. But that won’t stop NASA from launching it - they’re committed. My personal opinion is two launches (if the first one is successful that is - if Artemis 1 fails that’s it) with a slim but possible chance at a third. And that’ll be the last big rocket NASA ever builds. Then SpaceX, et. al. takes over providing launch services to whatever spacecraft NASA builds. To be brutally honest that’s probably the best possible outcome - let NASA transition to strictly developing/building spacecraft and payloads while others (who can do it better/faster/cheaper) provide the lift to get them where they need to be.

 

[Antares JS]

To be brutally honest that’s probably the best possible outcome - let NASA transition to strictly developing/building spacecraft and payloads while others (who can do it better/faster/cheaper) provide the lift to get them where they need to be.

I'm not sure SLS is obsolete just yet... People crow about Starship but it's still a long way from manned flights. I don't expect to see them until the latter half of the decade. The quoted part above though, I 100% agree with.

 

[CalebJ]

What's the latest on the EPA review for Starship's launch?