NASA has once again postponed the launch of Artemis II, with the lunar flyby mission crew setting a new launch window for April. Although March 6 was tentatively planned as the launch date, the US space agency revealed that a problem with the rocket had caused further delays.
According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, the failure was caused by a blockage in the flow of helium in the interim cryogenic propulsion stage of the Space Launch System (SLS). The flow of helium is necessary to purge the engines and pressurize the fuel tanks. The system worked properly during two dress rehearsals this month, but the failure occurred during routine operations.
Due to the nature of the problem, NASA engineers will have to fix it at the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), so there is no way to proceed with the March launch window. The rocket is heading back to the hangar.
“I understand that people are disappointed with this development,” the official said on his X account. “This frustration is felt most by the NASA team, which has been working tirelessly to prepare for this great endeavor. During the 1960s, when NASA achieved the most improbable, and which has never been repeated since, there were many setbacks.”
Will Artemis II be able to launch on its mission in April? NASA reported that the accelerated preparations allowed it to potentially preserve the April launch window in case it was pushed back. It all depends on how the data, repair efforts, and schedule come together in the coming days.
Artemis II: Failures
The mission’s first launch window was between February 6 and 11. However, during the wet dress rehearsal (WDR), which is a complete refueling rehearsal, the team detected a small hydrogen leak and some minor technical glitches during refueling. After analyzing the situation, NASA concluded that the risk was substantial and could endanger the lives of the astronauts, so it decided to postpone the launch.
The second dress rehearsal, held on February 19, was a success. In a statement, the space agency explained that it loaded 700,000 gallons of liquid propellant without leaking. “During the test, the teams closely monitored liquid hydrogen fueling operations, which proved challenging during previous tests. Hydrogen gas concentrations remained within allowable limits, giving engineers confidence in the new seals installed at the interface used to route fuel into the rocket,” NASA said.
At a subsequent press conference, mission representatives confirmed to the media that the new tentative lift-off date would be March 6. However, on February 20, the team failed to bleed helium through the vehicle, a failure that also occurred during the Artemis I mission test. Isaacman noted that this could be caused by a faulty filter, valve or connector plate.
“There are many differences between the 1960s and today, and expectations should be rightfully high given the time and expense invested in this program,” Isaacman said in his post. “I’ll say it again, the president created Artemis as a program that would go far beyond what America achieved during Apollo. We’ll be back in the coming years, we’ll build a base on the moon, and there should be continuous missions to and from the lunar atmosphere.”
When it finally launches, the Orion capsule will travel further than any other manned spacecraft during its 10-day mission, surpassing the record of 400,171 kilometers set by Apollo 13 on the sixth day. The return will end with Orion landing in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
Although there won’t be a moon landing—that feat would be for the Artemis III mission—the second launch is of utmost importance. Its success would demonstrate that NASA has the technological capability to return to the Moon and begin a new phase of space exploration.
This story was originally published by Wired en Español and translated from the Spanish.