NASA's SLS Rocket Successfully Completes Second Fueling Test, Paving Way for March Artemis II Launch

A successful second fueling test on NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket concluded on Thursday night, providing senior managers with the confidence to advance plans for launching four astronauts around the Moon as early as March 6.

In contrast to the initial attempt on February 2, Thursday’s practice countdown at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida was free from major hydrogen leaks. After a hydrogen leak was detected earlier from the rocket’s main fueling line, technicians replaced seals at the launch pad. This time, the seals held firm.

“For the most part, those fixes all performed pretty well yesterday,” stated Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for NASA’s exploration programs. “We were able to fully fuel the SLS rocket within the planned timeline.”

The results ensure that the Artemis II mission remains on track for a launch as soon as next month. NASA shelved a series of February launch opportunities due to a persistent hydrogen leak during the first Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR).

“We’re now targeting March 6 as our earliest launch attempt,” Glaze revealed. “I am going to caveat that. I want to be open, transparent with all of you that there is still pending work. There’s work, a lot of forward work, that remains.”

Should all preparations be completed, the Artemis II mission could launch within a two-hour window starting at 8:29 pm EST on March 6 (01:29 UTC on March 7). NASA has additional launch dates available on March 7, 8, 9, and 11, though the mission may need to be postponed until April depending on conditions such as the Moon’s position, the flight’s trajectory, and environmental factors.

The Artemis II mission will span between nine and ten days, with NASA’s Orion spacecraft and astronauts—including commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—journeying around the Moon's far side before returning to Earth for a Pacific Ocean splashdown. This mission will set a record for the furthest human travel from Earth and mark the first human proximity to the Moon since 1972.