NASA’s planned return to the Moon with the Artemis II mission is facing further delay after engineers detected a problem with helium flow in the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, Administrator Jared Isaacman announced Saturday.
The issue, identified in the rocket’s upper stage, necessitates a rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center for repairs, effectively removing a March 6 launch date from consideration, Isaacman stated in a social media post. “We will start preparations for rollback, and this will accept the March launch window out of consideration,” he wrote.
The discovery came just one day after NASA announced the completion of a successful “wet dress rehearsal” – a critical test involving the loading of fuel and a simulated launch countdown. However, the helium flow interruption was detected overnight, prompting the decision to return the rocket to the assembly building for troubleshooting.
Helium is essential for launch, NASA confirmed, used to purge the engines and for pressurization of the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks. The agency noted that a similar helium-related issue occurred during the Artemis I mission, though it remains unclear if the current problem is related.
Isaacman acknowledged the disappointment the delay would cause, stating, “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.”
The Artemis II mission is intended to send four astronauts – three from the United States and one from Canada – on a flight around the Moon, marking the first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years. NASA had previously identified five potential launch windows in March and six in April, but those options are now under review.
According to a post on X by Isaacman, the helium bottles are used for engine purging, as well as for pressurization of the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks. He added that the systems had functioned correctly during the previous wet dress rehearsals.
