"NASA is moving a rocket set to send four astronauts into a flyby of the moon off the launchpad. Postponed by NASA several times since it was rolled into launch position in late January 2026, new issues have left the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket unable to take off again. The original launch window opened on February 6, 2026. The launch was first moved by a few days and then a month, into March. Now, Artemis II will not launch before April."
"Problems began almost immediately in February, with freezing cold weather delaying an essential "wet" rehearsal of the rocket fueling procedure, where 700,000 gallons (2.6 million liters) of liquid hydrogen and oxygen fuel are pumped into the SLS's tanks. When eventually conducted, the test was stopped when hydrogen leaks occurred a problem that also grounded the Artemis I mission in 2022."
NASA postponed the Artemis II crewed lunar flyby after the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket developed fueling and pressurization problems while at the launchpad. A wet rehearsal was delayed by freezing cold weather and later halted due to hydrogen leaks during fueling. Repairs allowed a retest but revealed a helium flow problem that pressurizes the upper stage tanks. The helium issue cannot be fixed on the pad, requiring rollback of the rocket to the hangar. The launch, originally scheduled for February 6, 2026, has been rescheduled multiple times and will not occur before April.
Read at www.dw.com
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