KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — NASA completed another milestone Saturday in the mission to go back to the moon.

  • Water flow test completed Saturday
  • System supresses sound, helps provide cooling
  • Artemis mission would return astronauts to the moon
  • RELATED: Launch schedule updates

The last of seven water flow tests were completed for the first Artemis mission at Kennedy Space Center. 

Practice makes perfect, and ensuring the rocket and mobile launcher lifts off without a hitch requires testing every step of the way.

It's a sort of rehearsal of how things will go the day NASA astronauts go back to the moon. NASA Test Director Carlos Monge described that all hands are on deck, like it will be the day of the actual liftoff.

“We are excited to have a team in the fire room, we have all our support team, and it's very important we accomplish this to demonstrate our ability to support the mission,” Monge said.

The water flow tests last about 30 seconds and once the water starts flowing there is no stopping it. The purpose of the sound suppression system is to dampen sound and vibrations to keep the rocket and the launch pad safe at liftoff.

A water tower right next to the Mobile Launcher is filled with water ready for the test. The system reached a peak flow rate of more than 1 million gallons per minute.

“That's the plan, all 450 thousand gallons being released onto the mobile launcher to support the mission,” Monge said.

The flowing water suppresses the sound, which is estimated to be louder than a jetliner about 176 decibels at liftoff, and the water will absorb some of it, reducing the sound to what they call a safe zone.

But not only that, the hot exhaust from the rocket engines, which produces about 9 million pounds of thrust, pushes on confined spaces within the launcher and could potentially cause damage.

“The water provides some level of cooling. The four main engines and rocket motors, they generate a lot of heat,” he explained.

Saturday morning's test was delayed for almost three hours due to what NASA employees called a flow meter issue. ​