Artemis II: NASA rocket returns to hangar for repairs. When could it launch?
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - The Artemis II launch is currently on hold after NASA moved the rocket from the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs on Wednesday.
Teams have begun working to fix an issue with the rocket's helium flow.
NASA’s crawler-transporter 2, carrying NASA’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket with the Orion spacecraft, arrives Feb. 25, 2026, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to troubleshoot the flow
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The issue was discovered over the weekend after NASA completed a wet dress rehearsal, which included a simulated launch countdown.
Prior to the issue, NASA had targeted a March 6 launch. Now the earliest window for launch is April 1.
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While the issue is fixed, the four astronauts set to take flight remain grounded. NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, as well as Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremey Hansen will travel in an Orion spacecraft on a 10-day journey around the moon.
The mission will be the first crewed mission to the moon in more than 50 years.
NASA is expected to provide an update about the Artemis II mission during a news conference on Friday.
The Source: This story was written with information released by NASA and with previous FOX 35 reporting.