NASA completes a critical test of Artemis II, with a launch to the moon now targeted for March 6

"The second time is the charm, apparently. NASA successfully completed a major test of its upcoming moon mission, Artemis II, on Thursday. NASA acting associate administration Lori Glaze on Friday said that with the test done, the agency is now targeting a March 6 launch date for the mission. Known as a wet dress rehearsal, the test involved fueling the mission's rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), readying the crew capsule and initiating a mock launch countdown."

"Its apparent success marked significant progress for the agency: NASA's first attempted wet dress rehearsal on February 2 exposed several issues with both the SLS and the Orion capsule, including hydrogen fuel leaksa problem that also plagued the mission's predecessor, Artemis I. At a press conference on Friday, NASA's Artemis launch director, Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, said the agency is confident they have fixed the leaks, and that none arose during Thursday's mock fueling and launch countdown."

NASA completed a second wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis II moon mission, successfully fueling the Space Launch System (SLS), readying the crew capsule, and running a mock launch countdown. The rehearsal followed an earlier attempt on February 2 that revealed issues with the SLS and Orion capsule, including hydrogen fuel leaks similar to those on Artemis I. Agency officials stated confidence that the leaks have been fixed, with none observed during the second mock fueling and countdown. NASA is targeting a March 6 launch date but will review rehearsal data and perform additional flight-readiness tests before liftoff. The mission will carry four astronauts, including NASA's Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, and Victor Glover, plus a Canadian astronaut.

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