NASA targeting June 18 for Artemis I Moon rocket's next wet dress rehearsal attempt

NASA is targeting June 18, for the next wet dress rehearsal test of the Artemis I Moon rocket - Space Launch System (SLS) - and the Orion spacecraft, with tanking operations on Monday, June 20.

This is the final test needed before launch and will begin at 5 p.m. EDT Saturday, June 18 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During this crucial test, the launch teams will rehearse operations to load propellant into the rocket's tanks, conduct a full launch countdown, demonstrate the ability to recycle the countdown clock and drain the tanks to give them an opportunity to practice the timelines and procedures they will use for launch.

For the upcoming test, the mission teams are working to secure the rocket and spacecraft and connect the ground systems to the mobile launcher at the pad. Full coverage of the test and associated activities will air live on the NASA Television media channel.

The next #Artemis I wet dress rehearsal attempt of @NASA_SLS and @NASA_Orion will begin on Saturday, June 18, with tanking operations on Monday, June 20.This rehearsal is the final test needed before launch. Here's how you can follow along: https://t.co/0qXuGKDVwa pic.twitter.com/emyhfmklRr

— NASA's Kennedy Space Center (@NASAKennedy) June 13, 2022

NASA plans to explore regions of the Moon never visited before via a series of increasingly complex missions. Artemis I, which is the first in this series, will be an uncrewed flight test of the SLS rocket and Orion around the Moon. During this flight test, the spacecraft will venture thousands of miles beyond the moon over the course of about a four to six-week mission.

On later missions, Orion will carry astronauts to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years. The spacecraft has been designed for deep space missions around the Moon for up to four crew members.