All articles tagged with #artemis ii
NASA rolled the Artemis II Space Launch System rocket from its launch pad back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for a helium-pressurization repair on the upper stage, delaying the mission around the Moon to no earlier than April 1 and prompting a diagnostic rollback to pinpoint the valve or related components.
NASA moved the Artemis II SLS rocket off the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center and rolled it back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for additional repairs, delaying readiness ahead of the crewed lunar mission.
NASA has rolled back the Artemis II rocket to the Vehicle Assembly Building after a helium-flow problem in the upper stage of the Space Launch System, delaying a March liftoff. Engineers are investigating the cause while officials consider potential April launch windows, with further testing likely. When/if it launches, Artemis II will carry four astronauts on a 10-day lunar flyby, marking the first deep-space mission since Apollo ended in 1972.
NASA plans to roll the Artemis II SLS rocket and Orion back from the Kennedy Space Center launch pad to the Vehicle Assembly Building to repair a helium‑flow issue that halted recent tests, delaying the first crewed lunar mission and threatening the April launch window while engineers diagnose the root cause.
NASA plans a slow rollback of its Artemis moon rocket to Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to diagnose a helium-system issue after hydrogen-leak fixes, a move that could preserve an April launch window for Artemis II if repairs go well and data supports it; the four astronauts are in Houston awaiting the decision.
NASA's Space Launch System rocket for the Artemis II crewed Moon mission is back in the hangar for repairs after a helium-system issue, following hydrogen-leak fixes; engineers will diagnose the problem at Kennedy Space Center, with an April launch still possible though timing remains tight. The four-person crew—three Americans and one Canadian—remains on standby as NASA works to resolve the issues before the first crewed lunar flight since Apollo.
NASA will roll the Artemis II Space Launch System rocket from Launch Complex 39B back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs after an interruption in helium flow to the upper stage, a fix that must be performed in the VAB; the rollback ends the March launch window and aims to preserve an April opportunity if data and repairs permit, with the cause under investigation and potential fixes including a valve, umbilical interface, or filter; the crew have completed quarantine and training continues.
NASA is evaluating rolling Artemis II back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center after detecting an interrupted helium flow in the interim cryogenic propulsion stage, a finding that is likely to delay the March launch window for the four-astronaut lunar flyby and affect preparations leading to Artemis III.
NASA’s second fueling test of the Space Launch System ended without major leaks, keeping Artemis II on track for a March 6 liftoff (with alternate windows through March 7–11 and a possible slip to April if needed). The 9–10 day mission will carry four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—around the Moon, a precursor to south-pole landings by 2028. Engineers will review data and complete a Flight Readiness Review while retesting the range safety system; the crew has begun preflight quarantine and final launch timing will depend on ongoing readiness and mission constraints.
NASA aims to launch Artemis II in early March, sending four astronauts around the Moon for about 10 days aboard the Space Launch System and Orion capsule after a successful wet-dress rehearsal. The crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—will perform Earth orbit, then a distant lunar flyby before returning to Earth, paving the way for Artemis III’s lunar landing and a potential 2028 timeline. The mission marks the first crewed Moon encounter since 1972 and involves ongoing coordination with SpaceX and Blue Origin for future lunar infrastructure.
NASA carried out a second fueling test of the Space Launch System rocket for Artemis II at Kennedy Space Center, loading the giant launch vehicle with propellants as Orion sits atop the mobile launcher, marking progress toward the crewed lunar mission.
NASA plans a second wet dress rehearsal for Artemis 2's Space Launch System (SLS) on Feb. 19 after the initial fueling test on Feb. 2–3 was halted by a liquid hydrogen leak; teams will again load more than 730,000 gallons of LH2/LOX at Kennedy Space Center's Pad 39B and rehearse the countdown, fueling, and scrubs ahead of a potential March launch for four astronauts around the Moon.
NASA is still troubleshooting persistent liquid hydrogen leaks on the Artemis II rocket during a wet dress rehearsal, delaying tests and echoing past issues from Artemis I and the Space Shuttle era. The problem stems from hydrogen’s properties and the SLS’s legacy design, a product of congressional decisions to reuse Shuttle hardware. Engineers are replacing seals and refining fueling procedures, but officials say Artemis II is an experimental vehicle, and a permanent fix would require a major redesign rather than a quick workaround.
NASA restarted the countdown for Artemis II after fixing liquid hydrogen leaks by replacing seals and a clogged filter at Kennedy Space Center. The two-day wet dress rehearsal will culminate in a fuel-fill test, with the four Artemis II astronauts monitoring remotely, and, if all tests are leak-free, could lead to a March launch window for the crewed Moon mission.
NASA’s Artemis II relies on a vast ground-operations network. This episode highlights the Exploration Ground Systems program and the massive equipment that moves and supports the rocket— including the 380-foot mobile launcher, the 11.5-million-pound crawler-transporter, and the Pegasus barge that ferries the core stage from New Orleans to Kennedy Space Center—along with the engineers and technicians who ensure safety, reliability, and on-time delivery for a crewed mission to orbit the Moon and fuel future journeys to Mars.