NASA’s Artemis mission finally launches after faulty Ethernet switch delayed countdown
NASA has successfully launched its first Artemis mission, after a faulty ethernet switch threatened the debut of the USA’s Space Launch System and return to Lunar exploration.wrote is “necessary for launch”. NASA’s liveblog of the launch said the fault switch caused “loss of signal”.
The countdown was therefore paused at T-10:00 while the switch was replaced and tests conducted to ensure the new hardware was ready for the launch. That work meant the launch was pushed out of its scheduled time and into the two-hour launch window. The switch wasn’t the only problem for Artemis and the Space Launch System that carries it into space and towards Luna: NASA also reported a leaky valve on mobile launcher.
A “red team” – technicians trained to work on the SLS while it is fuelled – went onto the launchpad and “tightened connections in the area of a leaky valve on the mobile launcher.”NASA ironed that all out and at 1:37AM US Eastern Time resumed the countdown before launching without any apparent hitches.