NASA postpones the launch of the Artemis 2 lunar mission again

NASA has once again postponed the launch of the Artemis II mission, the manned flyby of the moon, and set a new launch window for April. Although March 6 was initially planned as the launch date, the US space agency revealed that a problem with the rocket caused further delays.

According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, the failure was due to an interruption in the flow of helium in the temporary cryogenic propulsion stage of the Space Launch System (SLS). The helium flow is necessary to purge the engines and pressurize the fuel tanks. This system worked properly in the two exercises conducted this month, but the malfunction occurred during a routine operation.

Due to the nature of the problem, NASA engineers will have to fix it from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), so there is no way to continue the March launch window. The rocket is on its way back to the hangar.

“I understand that people are disappointed by this development,” the official said on his X account. “This disappointment is most felt by the NASA team, which has been working tirelessly to prepare for this great endeavor. During the 1960s, when NASA achieved what most people thought was impossible, and what has not been repeated since, there were many setbacks.”

Will Artemis 2 be able to embark on its mission in April? NASA stated that rapid preparations allowed it to maintain its April launch window in the event of a reversal. It all depends on the data, repair efforts, and how the timeline is put together in the coming days.

Artemis II: Setbacks

The mission had its first launch window between February 6 and 11. However, during a wet rehearsal (WDR), a full fuel rehearsal, the team discovered small hydrogen leaks during fueling and some minor technical errors. After analyzing the situation, NASA concluded that the risk was great and could endanger the lives of astronauts, so it decided to postpone the launch.

The second rehearsal, held on February 19, was successful. The space agency explained in a statement that it had loaded 700,000 gallons of liquid fuel without any leakage. NASA said: “During the test, the teams closely monitored liquid hydrogen fueling operations, which had proven difficult during previous tests. Hydrogen gas concentrations remained within permissible limits, giving engineers confidence in the new seals installed in the interface used to direct fuel to the rocket.”

In a subsequent press conference, mission representatives confirmed to the media that the new launch date would be March 6. However, on February 20, the team failed to get helium to flow through the vehicle, a failure that also occurred during testing of the Artemis 1 mission. Isaacman noted that the cause may have been due to a faulty filter, valve, or connector board.

“There are many differences between the 1960s and today, and expectations should be really high after the time and expense invested in this program,” Isaacman said in his post. “I will say again, the President created Artemis as a program that will far exceed what America achieved during Apollo. We will return in the coming years, and we will build a base on the Moon, and fly what should be sustained missions to and from the lunar environment.”

When finally launched, the Orion capsule will travel farther than any other manned spacecraft during its 10-day mission, surpassing on the sixth day the record of 400,171 kilometers set by Apollo 13. The return will conclude with Orion landing in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California.

Although there will be no moon landing, as that feat will fall to the Artemis III mission, the second launch is of critical importance. Its success will prove that NASA has the technical capabilities to return to the moon and begin a new phase of space exploration.

This story originally appeared in WIRED en Español and was translated from Spanish.