NASA’s upcoming Artemis 2 moon mission has been postponed again after the problem with the helium flow in the rocket’s upper stage was discovered just three weeks before the scheduled launch.
The space agency has announced its intention to move the 322-meter Space Launch System rocket back to its base after it completed its launch at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, from launch pad 39B.
The Artemis 2 Moon mission is returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs. The manned moon mission will not take place in March, with April being the earliest possible opportunity for the mission.
The problem lies in the interruption of the helium flow in the intermediate cryogenic propulsion stage of the rocket. The system requires helium to pressurize the tanks, which contain liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
NASA stated that the problem was not discovered during the recent wet dress rehearsal, which successfully fueled the two stages of the rocket.
Launch of NASA Artemis 2 Moon
NASA reportedly targeted the launch on March 6, 2026, with further launch scheduling through March 9 and March 11. In case of an issue that could delay the launch in April.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman hinted this weekend that a rollback might be necessary after engineers identified a blockage affecting the helium flow. The decision was confirmed on Sunday.
Artemis 2 will send three NASA astronauts and one Canadian astronaut on a roughly 10-day journey around the moon and back to Earth aboard the Orion spacecraft. It will be the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo era.
