NASA reveals new problem with Artemis II rocket, further delaying launch

By Claire Cameron

Just a day after NASA announced it was on track for a March 6 launch of its upcoming moon mission, Artemis II, the agency revealed a new problem with the mission’s rocket that “almost assuredly” scuttles that plan.

In a blog post Saturday, NASA said that engineers had detected an interruption in the flow of helium in the upper stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman confirmed the problem in a social media post and that the rocket will be removed from the launch pad and returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repair work.

“We will begin preparations for rollback, and this will take the March launch window out of consideration,” Isaacman wrote.

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“Helium flow is required for launch,” NASA said in the post, and engineers are deciding what do next. The mission’s predecessor, Artemis I, also suffered from a helium problem, although it is unclear if Artemis II’s issue is the same, Isaacman said.

Artemis II has already been delayed numerous times, most recently due to its failed initial “wet dress rehearsal.” This key test involves loading the rocket with fuel, preparing the capsule that will house the Artemis II crew for the duration of the mission for launch, and simulating a launch countdown. The first attempt was plagued by hydrogen fuel leaks and other problems. But the second attempt, which took place just days ago, was a success—that’s why NASA had been confident in a March launch date mere hours before this new problem arose.

When it does eventually launch, Artemis II will see four astronauts—NASA’s Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen—fly on a ten-day journey around the moon and back. Together, they will observe the moon’s elusive farside and perform critical tests that will help form the basis for Artemis III—NASA’s planned mission to, by 2028, return humans to the lunar surface for the first time in more than half a century.

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