The launch of the Artemis 2 mission to the Moon has been pushed back a few weeks. A technical issue surfaced during the final phase of testing.
Originally scheduled for early February, NASA has confirmed that the Artemis 2 launch will be postponed to March due to a technical issue identified during a fueling test.
Technical Glitches During Dress Rehearsal
In the early hours of February 2nd to February 3rd, 2026, the last rehearsal before the Artemis 2 launch took place. This important rehearsal was designed to simulate a launch scenario, allowing the team to identify and address potential risks before the mission officially begins in a few days.
Over 49 hours, the teams executed the steps required for the mission’s launch. This included powering up all the batteries, testing the circuits for heating and ventilation, and even checking the emergency evacuation systems—although the astronauts were not aboard the Orion spacecraft for this rehearsal.
A key part of the checks involved filling the fuel tanks, a delicate and critical operation. This process required transferring around 2.65 million liters of liquid hydrogen and oxygen into the SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft, with the fuels stored in separate tanks.
During fuel transfer operations, minor liquid hydrogen leaks can occur. While these are generally manageable, an excessive leak was detected toward the end of the dress rehearsal, causing the countdown to halt at T-5:15.
Rescheduling the Takeoff for March
As mentioned earlier, this dress rehearsal was essential to wrap up the testing procedures before the Artemis 2 mission launch. To recap, this mission aims to send a crew into lunar orbit for the first time in 70 years, paving the way for Artemis 3, which is set to bring humans back to the Moon.
The initial launch window was between February 6th and February 11th, but it has been ruled out due to technical issues encountered during rehearsal. However, there’s no reason to panic; delays are quite common for missions of this magnitude.
NASA has emphasized that crew safety is its top priority, and resolving the fuel leak issue is crucial to ensuring the Artemis 2 mission proceeds smoothly and that the astronauts return safely to Earth.
Despite the engineers achieving many of their testing objectives, the launch date for Artemis 2 has to be postponed. This extra time will allow teams to analyze the data, fix any outstanding technical issues, and conduct a second dress rehearsal at a later date. Consequently, NASA is now targeting a launch window starting on the night of March 6-7, potentially extending through March 11.
