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4h ago

NASA Rolls Artemis II Back to VAB After Helium Flow Fault, March Launch Window Scrubbed

NASA says VAB troubleshooting could preserve an April launch window pending repairs.

NASA’s Artemis II rocket and Orion spacecraft stand vertical on mobile launcher 1 at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. Credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky
Artemis II moon mission delayed, rollback to VAB set for Feb 24
NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System, or SLS, rocket and Orion spacecraft, secured to the mobile launcher, is seen inside the Vehicle Assembly building on January 16 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Overview

  • An interrupted helium flow to the SLS upper stage was discovered after the Feb. 19 wet dress rehearsal, with systems performing during the test but not during post-test reconfigurations.
  • NASA delayed Tuesday’s planned rollback due to high winds and set the move for Wednesday morning, a 4‑mile trek expected to take up to 12 hours.
  • Engineers will access the upper stage in the Vehicle Assembly Building to diagnose potential causes in the ground‑to‑rocket interface, a stage valve, or a filter, while comparing data to a similar Artemis I issue.
  • The crew of Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen has been released from quarantine and remains in Houston until a new target date is about two weeks away.
  • Work in the VAB will include installing access platforms, replacing and retesting flight termination system batteries, and swapping additional upper‑stage batteries before further verification testing.