NASA announces changes to Artemis program
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NASA's towering Space Launch System rocket will be rolled back off the launch pad for repairs, delaying the Artemis 2 launch to April.
Fixing the Space Launch System rocket's helium pressurization problem has pushed the Artemis II launch to at least April 1.
Artemis II’s mission to the moon has been pushed back to March, NASA announced on Tuesday. “Engineers pushed through several challenges during the two-day test and met many of the planned objectives,” NASA officials said in a statement.
To fix the problem, NASA has to roll SLS and the stacked Orion spacecraft back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Weather permitting, teams will begin the rollback process on Tuesday, according to a Sunday update.
NASA's Artemis II rocket successfully completed a major prelaunch test. The crew will now enter quarantine as potential launch dates come as early as March.