A day after NASA officials shared their optimism about launching the Artemis II mission to the Moon next month, the space agency’s administrator announced on Saturday that a newly identified issue necessitates taking the rocket back from its launch site in Florida.
The problem emerged on Friday evening when data indicated a disruption in the helium flow into the upper stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, according to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. Isaacman provided a more detailed update on Saturday, noting that while engineers are still investigating the potential cause, any necessary repairs must be completed inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB).
This means that NASA and contractor ground teams will immediately start preparations to move the 322-foot-tall (98-meter) SLS rocket from Launch Complex 39B back to the VAB. The rocket, along with its mobile launch platform, will make the 4-mile journey on NASA’s crawler-transporter.
“Regardless of the potential fault, accessing and remediating any of these issues can only be performed in the VAB,” Isaacman explained. “As mentioned previously, we will begin preparations for rollback, and this will take the March launch window out of consideration. 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.”
NASA officials had been considering a launch attempt for Artemis II as early as March 6, one of five launch opportunities available in March. The mission can depart Earth approximately five days per month, depending on the Moon's position in its orbit, along with the trajectory and thermal and lighting conditions of the flight. The next set of launch dates starts on April 1.
The space agency had opted not to pursue earlier launch opportunities this month following a fueling test of the SLS rocket that revealed a hydrogen leak. After replacing seals in the fueling line to the SLS core stage, NASA conducted a second fueling test on Thursday without encountering significant leaks, leading to hopes that the mission could proceed next month. However, with the helium issue discovered on Friday night, March launch dates are now out of consideration.