NASA delays Artemis II launch due to hydrogen leak during rehearsal
A handful of challenges came up during the fuel test for the planned trip around the moon
NASA now says March is the earliest window for a launch of the Artemis II mission after it found a liquid hydrogen leak during what's known as a "wet dress rehearsal" this week.
The space agency had been targeting a Feb. 8 launch date for the mission, which will send four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon.
"To allow teams to review data and conduct a second wet dress rehearsal, NASA now will target March as the earliest possible launch opportunity for the flight test," the space agency said in a statement.
The next launch window opens on March 6 and closes on March 11.
NASA says there are windows of a few days each month when the mission could possibly launch, based on “complex orbital mechanics” that account for Earth’s rotation and the moon’s orbiting of Earth.