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NASA Scrubs March Artemis II Launch After Helium-Flow Fault, Orders SLS Rollback

Engineers will inspect the upper stage at the Vehicle Assembly Building to diagnose the loss of helium flow.

Overview

  • NASA confirmed Artemis II will not launch in March after teams could not get helium flowing through the SLS upper stage.
  • The rocket will be rolled back from the pad into the Vehicle Assembly Building for inspections and repairs.
  • Administrator Jared Isaacman said the ICPS helium system worked during two wet dress rehearsals but later failed to flow during a subsequent operation.
  • The March window spans only a few days, so teams are assessing the next opportunities, with April cited as the earliest target.
  • The mission plans to send Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen on roughly a 10-day lunar-orbit flight as a precursor to Artemis III.