In this entire process, NASA will first roll out the SLS. Then she will do many more tests to prove her readiness. Lastly, there will be a pre-launch test called ‘Wet Dress Rehearsal’. During this the system will be loaded from its proplant tanks. According to a report in TechCrunch, Artemis launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson has said that if Thursday’s rollout goes ahead without a hitch, a ‘wet dress rehearsal’ could take place on April 3.
Work on SLS started in the year 2010, but due to technical issues, the project faced difficulties. NASA’s ‘Artemis I’ mission was to take off in November last year. Just a month before the launch, NASA said it had pushed the timeline and the mission would be launched by mid-February. The special thing is that the mission could not be launched even in February and this date has been extended again.
Due to the delay in the project, its cost is also increasing. Earlier this month, a NASA auditor reported that the operational cost for the first four Artemis missions would be $4.1 billion (about Rs 31,336 crore) and the single SLS would cost $2.2 billion (about Rs 16,813 crore) to build.
In comparison, billionaire Elon Musk’s company SpaceX is building a super-heavy rocket. The special thing is that this rocket can be used again. With the help of this rocket, she will save $10 million (about Rs 76 crore) per launch in the next few years.
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