NASA chief delays moon mission, rules out March launch over technical issues

Workers identified a problem with helium flow to the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that will “take the March launch window out of consideration,” Isaacman said in a post on X.

“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,” Isaacman said.

“During the 1960s, when NASA achieved what most thought was impossible, and what has never been repeated since, there were many setbacks.”

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The towering SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft will be rolled back into the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to examine the issue and carry out any necessary repairs, he added.

A detailed briefing is expected in the coming days.

The Artemis 2 mission, planned to last about 10 days, will send three Americans and one Canadian on a journey around the Moon. The mission is seen as a critical step toward returning humans to the lunar surface, a goal announced during President Donald Trump’s first term.

NASA had earlier said March 6 was the earliest possible launch date.

The US space agency aims to return astronauts to the Moon amid growing competition from China, which is targeting a crewed lunar mission by 2030. China’s uncrewed Chang’e 7 mission is scheduled for 2026 to explore the Moon’s south pole, while testing of its Mengzhou crewed spacecraft is expected this year.

Although NASA signaled late last year that Artemis 2 could launch as early as February, the programme has faced repeated delays. Artemis 1, the uncrewed test flight, was eventually launched in November 2022 after multiple postponements.

More recently, technical problems in early February, including a liquid hydrogen leak, interrupted a wet dress rehearsal for Artemis 2.

The rehearsal conducted under real launch conditions with fully fueled tanks and system checks, was successfully completed earlier this week.

NASA ultimately hopes lunar missions will help prepare for future crewed journeys to Mars.