NASA has rescheduled the Artemis II mission launch for March after a liquid hydrogen leak was discovered during a recent wet dress rehearsal. Initially planned for February 8, the mission will now see four astronauts embarking on a 10-day lunar journey.
The upcoming launch window spans from March 6 to March 11, with NASA explaining that specific launch opportunities each month are determined by intricate orbital mechanics involving Earth’s rotation and the moon’s orbit.
During the rehearsal, engineers encountered the hydrogen leak while loading the rocket, leading to delays as they addressed the issue. The team successfully completed hydrogen tanking despite the setback, gathering valuable data and applying lessons learned from a previous mission.
Despite encountering challenges with a valve and audio issues, the team remains optimistic about resolving the rocket issues without relocating it from the launchpad, a time-consuming process that was witnessed during the vessel’s previous transfer in January.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasized that such rehearsals are crucial for identifying and rectifying issues before the actual launch, emphasizing safety as their top priority.
The four astronauts, including Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen and NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, have been released from quarantine following the schedule change. They will re-enter quarantine closer to the next launch opportunity.
Artemis II is part of NASA’s Artemis moon program, aiming to test vital functions of the spacecraft before an anticipated Artemis III mission, which could mark NASA’s return to crewed moon landings.
While the next wet dress rehearsal date is yet to be determined, NASA will evaluate the data from the recent test to plan accordingly.