Kathmandu. The US space agency NASA completed the final and critical test of fueling its new rocket on Monday in preparation for sending astronauts to the moon. The success of this test paved the way for the launch date of astronauts under the Artemis program. At the Kennedy Space Center, the actual launch process was practiced on a Space Launch System 9SLS0 rocket filled with super-cooled hydrogen and oxygen fuel. According to NASA, about 2.6 million liters of fuel were filled in the tank and kept safely for several hours.

Although the crew did not directly participate in the exercise, three American and one Canadian astronaut closely monitored the entire process from Houston. They are currently in quarantine for pre-flight preparations. If this test is considered a complete success, NASA says that a crew of astronauts could be sent to the moon this week. In this mission lasting about 10 days, they will fly around the moon and return to Earth. However, at this stage they will not land on the surface of the moon.