A day after NASA officials expressed optimism that they could be ready to launch the Artemis II mission around the Moon next month, the space agency’s administrator announced Saturday that a new problem will require the removal of the rocket from its launch pad in Florida.
The latest issue appeared Friday evening, when data showed an interruption in helium flow into the upper stage of the Space Launch System rocket, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wrote in a post on X. Isaacman posted a more thorough update Saturday, writing that engineers are still examining the potential cause of the problem, but any fixes must take place inside the Vehicle Assembly Building.
That means NASA and contractor ground teams will immediately begin preparing to roll the 322-foot-tall (98-meter) SLS rocket off of Launch Complex 39B and back to the VAB. The rocket and its mobile launch platform will ride NASA’s crawler-transporter for the 4-mile journey.
“Regardless of the potential fault, accessing and remediating any of these issues can only be performed in the VAB,” Isaacman wrote. “As mentioned previously, we will begin preparations for rollback, and this will take the March launch window out of consideration. I understand people are disappointed by this development. That disappointment is felt most by the team at NASA, who have been working tirelessly to prepare for this great endeavor.”
NASA officials were eyeing a launch attempt for Artemis II as soon as March 6, the first of five launch opportunities available in March. There are approximately five days per month that the mission can depart the Earth after accounting for the position of the Moon in its orbit, the flight’s trajectory, and thermal and lighting constraints. The next series of launch dates begin April 1.
The space agency bypassed launch opportunities earlier this month after a fueling test on the SLS rocket revealed a hydrogen leak. After replacing seals in the fueling line leading into the SLS core stage, NASA completed a second fueling test Thursday with no significant leaks, raising hopes the mission could take off next month. With the discovery of the helium issue Friday night, the March launch dates are now off the table.