Overview
- An interrupted helium flow in the Space Launch System’s propulsion system was detected after the fueling rehearsal, prompting a rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building for inspection and repair.
- NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said VAB access is required to troubleshoot components such as a filter, valve or quick-disconnect and confirmed that March launch opportunities are no longer viable.
- The second wet dress rehearsal was completed with roughly 700,000 gallons of propellant loaded and hydrogen losses well below safety limits after engineers replaced seals and a clogged filter.
- NASA has not set a new target, with officials indicating the next viable opportunities could slip into April pending the outcome of inspections and data reviews.
- Artemis II is slated to send Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen on an approximately 10-day lunar flyby, the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo.