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NASA Halts March Artemis II Launch After Helium-Flow Fault, Orders Rollback for Repairs

The SLS and Orion head back to the hangar to diagnose a helium-flow anomaly before NASA sets a new launch window.

Overview

  • NASA removed March from consideration after the fault was detected, directing the rocket and spacecraft to leave the pad at Kennedy Space Center for inspection and potential fixes.
  • Earlier in the week a second wet dress rehearsal fully fueled the SLS with roughly 700,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and oxygen and proceeded largely as planned.
  • Hydrogen leaks seen in the first rehearsal at the quick-disconnect were addressed with new seals and a filter change, with the latest test keeping concentrations within limits.
  • A ground communications issue during the rehearsal briefly shifted operations to a backup system, with the root cause identified and corrected.
  • The crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—had entered prelaunch quarantine for a possible early‑March liftoff but can now stand down as NASA considers early April opportunities.