RE: https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/116329596689333996
Preparations for filling the rocket with propellant will begin about 11 hours before launch. The launch team will ramp up flow rates to “fast fill” mode on both tanks sometime around 9:00 am EDT (3:00 pm CEST). This will be one of the most critical 😰 phases of the countdown
Live Updates for #Artemis II
11:25 a.m. ET (5:25 pm CEST)
The hydrogen tank on the second or upper stage of the #SLS rocket is now full too
12:50 p.m. ET (6:50 pm CEST)
All of the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen tanks are now full. That allows the close-out crews to go to the pad for final preparations there. The astronauts are to head to the launchpad in about an hour
6:26 p.m. ET (12:26 am CEST)
The countdown has resumed. Counting down for 6:35 p.m. Eastern time
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/04/01/science/moon-nasa-artemis-launch
01:07 CEST
Flight controllers in Houston have confirmed that all four solar arrays were deployed successfully
https://www.theguardian.com/science/live/2026/apr/01/artemis-ii-launch-nasa-orion-moon-trip-live-updates
10:05 p.m. ET (4:05 am CEST)
The #Artemis II crew reported a problem with their toilet 🚽, a blinking fault light
11:35 p.m. ET (5:35 am CEST)
The proximity operations have concluded. The Orion capsule will move away from the upper stage
11:41 p.m. ET (5:41 am CEST)
Before going to sleep 💤, the astronauts have a few more tasks including putting away the #SpaceSuits and troubleshooting the problem with the toilet 🪠
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/04/01/science/moon-nasa-artemis-launch
In #SpaceToilets 🚽, fans are there to pull waste into the toilet, preventing it from drifting into the cabin. #NASA confirmed that there was a problem with the toilet fan on the #Orion spacecraft which meant that while astronauts could still poop in the toilet, they couldn’t pee in it https://www.astronomy.com/space-exploration/artemis-2-crew-fixes-toilet-can-now-pee-in-it/
Spaceflight 🚀
