The second attempt was similarly aborted hours before the launch window opened — this time due to a leak that formed in the supply side of the eight-inch fast disconnect — days after an engine failure prompted Nasa to defer the launch of its ambitious Artemis mission. Despite engineers’ best efforts, the leak persisted.
The 322-foot (98-meter) rocket’s almost one million gallons of fuel were first loaded into it as part of the launch preparations. The tanking process had to be briefly stopped due to an over-pressure alert, but no harm was done as a result, so work could continue.
A few minutes later, engineers discovered hydrogen fuel seeping from the rocket’s engine section, prompting them to cease filling and start debugging. As long as the countdown clock was running, it was assumed that it was a hole around a seal in the supply line.
‘The liquid hydrogen leak in the quick disconnect chamber where the flight side and ground side plates converge is still being investigated by engineers. They will try to warm up the fast disconnect once more in an effort to reset the seal’ Before cancelling the launch, NASA stated in an update.
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