NASA has rescheduled the launch window for the Artemis II mission to March following the discovery of a liquid hydrogen leak during a recent wet dress rehearsal. Initially planned for February 8, the mission aims to send four astronauts on a 10-day lunar journey.
The revised launch window is set between March 6 and March 11, with NASA explaining that specific launch opportunities are determined by complex orbital calculations considering Earth’s rotation and the moon’s orbit.
During the rehearsal, a hydrogen leak was detected as the rocket was being loaded, causing a delay. Engineers worked to troubleshoot the issue by stopping the hydrogen flow into the core stage for seal adjustments. Other challenges, such as a faulty valve and audio dropouts, were also encountered.
Despite setbacks, NASA highlighted successes, including the completion of hydrogen tanking and valuable data collection for future missions. Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson expressed a mix of achievements and areas needing further attention.
Additionally, NASA anticipates resolving the rocket issues without relocating it from the launchpad, a time-consuming process due to transportation complexities. Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasized that such rehearsals are crucial for identifying and rectifying issues before the actual flight.
The four astronauts, including Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen and NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, were released from quarantine due to the schedule change but will re-enter quarantine closer to the new launch date.
Artemis II is part of NASA’s Artemis program, focusing on testing the spacecraft’s capabilities ahead of future missions. The program aims to establish a sustainable presence on the moon, with Artemis III targeting a lunar south pole exploration and a historic astronaut landing. NASA will assess data from the recent rehearsal to plan the next steps.