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NASA Delays Artemis II Moon Mission After Rocket Test Issues
NASA announced on Tuesday a delay in its ambitious mission to send four astronauts on a journey around the moon, citing technical difficulties encountered during a crucial rocket test. The Artemis II mission, originally eyeing a February launch, will now target March as the earliest possible launch window.
During an elaborate “wet dress rehearsal” at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, mission managers were conducting a simulated launch day walkthrough when engineers detected a hydrogen leak at the base of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. This issue forced NASA to halt the test with approximately 5 minutes and 15 seconds remaining in the simulated countdown.
The agency confirmed shortly after 2 a.m. ET on Tuesday that it would forgo the February launch window (which extended until February 11) for the Artemis II mission.
This decision will allow teams to thoroughly review data and conduct another wet dress rehearsal. Potential launch dates in March include March 6-9 and March 11, with additional opportunities in April if necessary.
John Honeycutt, the Artemis II mission management team chair, addressed the situation in a news briefing, stating, “To me, the big takeaway was we got a chance for the rocket to talk to us, and it did just that.” He emphasized that these elaborate practice runs are designed to rigorously test both the rocket and the ground team “before we ask our crew to go fly on launch day.”
Wet dress rehearsals are a standard and vital component of NASA’s launch preparation process, enabling mission managers to assess the performance and readiness of a rocket. This is particularly critical for the Artemis II mission, as it marks the first time the SLS booster and Orion spacecraft will carry astronauts, and their first flight since late 2022.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman reiterated the importance of these tests, writing in a post on X, “With more than three years between SLS launches, we fully anticipated encountering challenges. That is precisely why we conduct a wet dress rehearsal. These tests are designed to surface issues before flight and set up launch day with the highest probability of success.”
The hours-long rehearsal involved filling the rocket with over 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellant and simulating every step of the launch countdown. During the fueling process, which began around 12:30 p.m. ET on Monday, operations were paused twice to investigate hydrogen fuel leaks at the tail end of the rocket.
Hydrogen, a common rocket propellant, is known for its small molecules, which can make it challenging to contain and prone to leaks. “When you’re dealing with hydrogen, it’s a small molecule, it’s highly energetic,” Honeycutt explained.
“We like it for that reason. And we do the best we can.”
Further hydrogen leaks emerged in the final minutes of the simulated countdown, causing the rocket’s automated systems to stop the countdown due to a significant increase in the leak rate. Additionally, engineers will investigate several audio communication issues that arose among ground teams during the rehearsal.
Artemis launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson expressed confidence in resolving the issues, stating, “We’ll figure it out, and we’ll be back here talking to you once again about when we’re going to target our next wet dress and the results from that.”
Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, noted that a full analysis of the wet dress rehearsal results is necessary before another practice run can be scheduled. Work is currently ongoing at the launch pad. However, if more extensive repairs are required, the rocket might need to be rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building, which would likely lead to further delays.
The four astronauts assigned to the Artemis II flight – NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Victor Glover, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen – had been in quarantine in Houston since January 21 to prevent preflight exposure to germs. While they were expected to arrive at Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday afternoon, NASA confirmed their release from quarantine and their return to Houston.
In a statement on X, Wiseman shared that he and his fellow crew members had breakfast with their families and would resume training on Wednesday. He expressed “immense pride seeing the rocket reach 100% fuel load last night, especially knowing how challenging the scenario was for our launch team doing the dangerous and unforgiving work.” The crew is expected to re-enter quarantine approximately two weeks before the next targeted launch opportunity.
Artemis II will mark the second journey into space for NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule, but the first time they will carry a human crew. This highly anticipated launch is a crucial step toward NASA’s overarching goal of returning astronauts to the lunar surface. A previous uncrewed Artemis I flight around the moon in 2022 also experienced a six-month delay due to similar hydrogen leaks identified during its initial wet dress rehearsal.
“As always, safety remains our top priority, for our astronauts, our workforce, our systems, and the public,” Isaacman affirmed on X, emphasizing that NASA “will only launch when we believe we are ready to undertake this historic mission.”