NASA Restarts Artemis II Countdown After Fixing Hydrogen Leaks on Moon Rocket
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA has restarted the countdown for its first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years, resuming a critical fueling test after engineers repaired hydrogen leaks on its towering Moon rocket.
The two-day rehearsal at Kennedy Space Center marks another attempt to clear technical hurdles that have already delayed the highly anticipated Artemis II mission into March.
Earlier this month, NASA halted its first fueling test after detecting liquid hydrogen leaks — the same issue that complicated the uncrewed debut of the Artemis program three years ago. Technicians replaced two faulty seals and cleared a clogged filter at the launch pad before restarting the countdown clock Tuesday.
The test is expected to culminate Thursday with a full tanking of the agency’s powerful Space Launch System rocket. A clean, leak-free rehearsal is required before officials formally set a launch date.
The earliest possible liftoff is now March 6, though NASA has said additional time may be needed to analyze test data.
Artemis II will send four astronauts — including commander Reid Wiseman and pilot Victor Glover — on a nearly 10-day journey around the Moon and back. The crew will not land but will travel beyond the lunar far side, testing the Orion capsule’s life-support and navigation systems in deep space.
The mission represents NASA’s first human voyage to the Moon since the final Apollo flight in 1972. Under the Artemis program, the agency aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface, targeting the Moon’s south polar region with plans for longer-term exploration.
For now, engineers remain focused on one immediate goal: ensuring the rocket can be safely fueled, a step that has proven deceptively complex for the next chapter in America’s return to deep space.
