August M
NASA’s long-anticipated next step toward returning humans to the Moon has hit another obstacle. A critical pre-launch test exposed technical issues that have forced the space agency to delay the mission once again.
The setback comes as engineers work to ensure safety ahead of one of the most ambitious lunar efforts in decades.
Test goes wrong
According to LADBIBLE, NASA was conducting a so-called “wet dress rehearsal,” a full test of the Artemis II rocket’s fuel systems, when a serious problem emerged.
During the countdown, engineers detected a liquid hydrogen leak at the interface of the tail service mast umbilical. The issue caused the rehearsal to be automatically stopped at T-5:15 minutes, after which teams began draining fuel from the rocket.
NASA said engineers had already spent several hours troubleshooting the leak while also assessing how cold weather conditions were affecting the system.
Launch pushed back
The Artemis II mission had been targeting a potential launch as early as Feb. 8. Following the failed test, NASA said the earliest possible launch window has now shifted to March.
In a statement, the agency said: “NASA completed a wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis II mission in the early morning hours on Feb. 3.”
“To allow teams to review data and conduct a second wet dress rehearsal, NASA will now target March as the the earliest possible launch opportunity for the Artemis II mission,” it added.
“Engineers conducted a first run at terminal countdown operations during the test, however, the countdown stopped at 5 minutes left due to a spike in the liquid hydrogen leak rate. Crew safety remains the highest priority.”
Mission ambitions
Artemis II is designed to send four astronauts beyond the far side of the Moon, testing the Orion spacecraft in deep space and taking humans farther from Earth than ever before.
The broader goal of the Artemis program is to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon, including a lunar base, before the end of 2028.
As plans adjust, the crew has been temporarily released from quarantine, though NASA said they will return a couple of weeks before the next launch attempt.
Crew and journey
The Artemis II crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, alongside Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
If the mission proceeds as planned, the spacecraft will orbit Earth twice before heading beyond GPS coverage to test deep-space communications. Orion will then fly around the Moon’s far side, reaching about 4,600 miles beyond it, before returning to Earth for a Pacific Ocean splashdown and recovery by the U.S. Navy.
Looking ahead
While the delay is another reminder of the program’s complexity, NASA has stressed that resolving the issue now is essential before taking humans deeper into space than ever before.
Sources: LADBIBLE
