Space & Astronomy

It's bad news yet again for the launch of NASA's Artemis II mission

By T.K. Randall
February 27, 2026 ·  6 comments

Image: Artemis I Rollout (illustrative)
Credit: Joel Kowsky / (PD) NASA It seems that NASA can't catch a break - at least as far as Artemis II is concerned.

Back at the beginning of February, hopes of an imminent launch of the mission that would see the first crew fly around the Moon in more than five decades were dashed when a hydrogen fuel leak was detected during a wet dress rehearsal.

After this issue was fixed, the rocket was rolled out for a second time with the launch scheduled for March 6th - but now, it turns out, there's another issue - a helium flow malfunction - necessitating yet another return to the hangar so that engineers can attempt repairs.

"The team was unable to get helium flow through the vehicle," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wrote on X. "This occurred during a routine operation to repressurize the system.""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."

At present, the next possible launch window will likely be in April.

Even so, Isaacman remains confident that Artemis II will go ahead and that the space program will see humans not only visit the Moon, but ultimately build a base there.

"We will return in the years ahead, we will build a Moon base, and undertake what should be continuous missions to and from the lunar environment," he wrote.

"Where we begin with this architecture and flight rate is not where it will end."

Source: Space.com | Comments (6)

Tags: Artemis, Moon