Arrived! The #Artemis I stack has entered the Vehicle Assembly Building where technicians will prepare Orion and @NASA_SLS to ride out Hurricane Ian.
The Space Launch System moon rocket has entered High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building. NASA says the jacking and leveling system on the crawler transporter will lower the mobile launch platform onto pedestals in the next 30 minutes or so, marking the official end of the rollback operation. Stephen Clark
[email protected] chief Bill Nelson now says #Artemis launch attempt now most likely for MID-NOVEMBER.
At approximately 9:15am EDT, the @NASA_SLS rocket and @NASA_Orion spacecraft for the #Artemis I mission were secured inside the Vehicle Assembly Building ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Ian.
See images from the roll back of the #Artemis I vehicle to the Vehicle Assembly Building at @NASAKennedy to ride out Hurricane Ian 📷: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzG1pG
[email protected] will host a media teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT today, Tuesday, Sept. 27, to discuss the decision to roll #Artemis I back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at @NASAKennedy ahead of the arrival of Hurrican Ian.LISTEN: https://go.nasa.gov/3Ceu6cAMORE: https://go.nasa.gov/3rcGX8K
Turns out there was a smallish fire in the VAB in High Bay 3. Not great, but not terrible. Fire Department was already on site.
NASA has evacuated the VAB and the fire department is on scene.nsf.live/spacecoast
At approximately 11:45pm today, a fire was reported in the Vehicle Assembly Building. Employees were evacuated, and there are no reported injuries. The VAB is fire safe, and the Artemis I vehicle was not at risk. We will provide updates as we have them.
Apologies, 11:45am, not pm. We will continue to provide updates as we have them.
Managers discuss the agency’s recent decision to roll the Artemis I Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Ian.
Petro says an investigation is underway on the VAB fire, but the source is believed to have been a panel "on the south side" of the building. SLS & Orion were "never at risk."
Petro: Don't have exact distance on how far the fire was from the rocket, but it was on the wall of VAB High Bay 3.
Petro, on the fire: Team was in the process of securing SLS in the VAB and "it was a 40 volt electrical panel on the wall of High Bay 3 that caught fire." Not sure specifically what in the electrical panel the source was, and only a handful of people in the VAB at the time.
Free says there were two "good weather" windows to roll the SLS rocket back: Early Monday morning and Late Monday night. Free: "We waited about as long as we could and still had a window to get the vehicle back, and safe."
Free: "I don't think we're going to take anything off the table" in regards to launch attempts in October, but "the FTS [Flight Termination System] change out is not simple" and will make it challenging.
Free doesn't say it, but it sounds like October is definitely out for an Artemis I launch attempt: "I don’t want to say it’s off the table, but I also recognize it’s September 27th. Getting back out there might be a challenge."
Free: Limited life items that NASA may change out while SLS & Orion are in the VAB include batteries, hypergolic storage, soft goods in the service module.
Free: A November launch is more likely because "it's just a challenge" to complete needed work at the VAB in time for windows next month, need to "give ourselves the best shot to launch."
Q-how much time do you expect to have on the FTS battery now that Range gave you waiver?Free-they gave us 25 days and then let us extend. Will check, but I think we're still assuming it's 25 days.
Q-how long between rolling back to pad and launch?Free-Started at 10 days, but we're improving processes every time we go out. About 7-8 days now.
Earlier today, Artemis I rolled back into the VAB to shelter from Hurricane Ian, as seen in this 2.5 hour timelapse.Our @NASASpaceflight cams are still rolling as KSC buckles down for the approaching storm:➡️nsf.live/spacecoast
The National Weather Service is forecasting sustained winds in the 30s with gusts into the 50-55mph range during the peak of the storm.
BULLETINHurricane Ian Advisory Number 24NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL0920221100 AM EDT Wed Sep 28 2022...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS EYEWALL OF IAN MOVING ONSHORE......IAN WILL CAUSE CATASTROPHIC STORM SURGE, WINDS, AND FLOODING IN THE FLORIDA PENINSULA SOON...SUMMARY OF 1100 AM EDT...1500 UTC...INFORMATION-----------------------------------------------LOCATION...26.3N 82.5WABOUT 45 MI...75 KM WNW OF NAPLES FLORIDAABOUT 50 MI...80 KM SSW OF PUNTA GORDA FLORIDAMAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...155 MPH...250 KM/HPRESENT MOVEMENT...NNE OR 15 DEGREES AT 9 MPH...15 KM/HMINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...937 MB...27.67 INCHESWATCHES AND WARNINGS--------------------CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:A Storm Surge Warning has been issued from the mouth of the St.Mary's River to the mouth of the South Santee River, South Carolina.A Hurricane Warning has been issued from Sebastian Inlet, Floridanorthward to the Flagler/Volusia County Line, Florida.A Hurricane Watch has been issued from the Flagler/Volusia CountyLine to the South Santee River.A Tropical Storm Warning has been extended northward to LittleRiver Inlet, South Carolina.
