April Fool's Day prank? NASA claims Artemis II will launch on April 1

"The next time we tank the vehicle will be when we're attempting to launch. I am comfortable and the agency is comfortable with targeting April 1 as our first opportunity, just keep in mind we still have work to go."

"The Artemis II mission will not land on the moon, but rather send its crew - Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen - on a looping 'rendezvous' with the moon. The SLS rocket will launch into Earth orbit before detaching and sending the Orion crew capsule on a trip around the far side of the moon - returning 10 days later for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean."

"However, hydrogen leaks and helium blockages forced NASA to roll the rocket back to the Vehicle Assembly Building in Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, for repairs. With those problems now fixed, the space agency plans to roll the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket back to the launch pad on March 19, with its sights set on an early April launch."

NASA plans to launch Artemis II on April 1, marking humanity's return to lunar exploration after over 50 years. The mission was originally scheduled for February but experienced delays due to hydrogen leaks and helium blockages requiring repairs at Kennedy Space Centre. The Space Launch System rocket will be rolled back to the launch pad on March 19. Rather than conducting another wet dress rehearsal, NASA will proceed directly to launch attempts. Artemis II will not land on the moon but instead send four crew members on a looping trajectory around the far side of the moon, returning after 10 days. The crew will pass within 4,000 to 6,000 miles of the lunar surface depending on launch timing.

Read at Mail Online