NASA's Artemis II, marking the agency's initial crewed journey near the moon since the Apollo program's conclusion more than five decades ago, will not proceed as early as March. Teams at Kennedy Space Center had targeted a liftoff around March 6, but a weekend malfunction in helium delivery to the SLS rocket's upper stage has prompted the agency to return the vehicle from the pad to the Vehicle Assembly Building for inspection and repairs. Officials plan a press conference later this week to outline the malfunction and future plans.
In a statement shared on X, NASA leader Jared Isaacman indicated that the repositioning process eliminates the March opportunity. According to an update on NASA's site, the current actions might still allow an April departure, subject to results from analysis, corrective work, and evolving timelines in the near term. The relocation spans four miles and requires several hours to maneuver the enormous SLS and Orion capsule securely, with February 24 as the tentative date for the move.
The malfunction surfaced during the predawn hours of February 21, involving a disruption in helium supply to the SLS's interim cryogenic propulsion stage. NASA detailed that this gas is essential for sustaining optimal conditions around the stage's engine and for pressurizing the liquid hydrogen and oxygen tanks. The setup functioned correctly during the Artemis II wet dress rehearsals, yet post-rehearsal routine checks and adjustments ending February 19 failed to restore proper helium circulation. Crews are now relying on an alternative procedure to safeguard the upper stage engines and overall rocket integrity, which stays in a secure state.
The four-member Artemis II team—consisting of Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency—began quarantine protocols just prior to the incident. The agency reports that the crew has now exited isolation.
Earlier this year, NASA revealed a faster schedule for Artemis II, shifting it from an original April 2026 slot after setbacks in 2024. This 10-day flight represents the debut crewed outing for the SLS rocket, sending the Orion vehicle on a lunar flyby. An initial early February target slipped to March owing to complications in the wet dress rehearsal, and the current setback raises the possibility of reverting to April, contingent on swift resolution of the helium concern.