Expand / Collapse search
☰

NASA delays Artemis II rollback due to weather; launch date still unknown

By
Published  February 24, 2026 7:20am EST
Space
FOX 35 Orlando

The Brief

    • NASA is preparing to move Artemis II off the launch pad and return it to the Vehicle Assembly Building to fix a helium flow issue. 
    • The rollback has delayed the launch of the mission, which will take astronauts on a trip around the moon. 
    • Artemis II will mark the first crewed mission to the moon in more than 50 years.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - NASA has delayed a rollback of its Artemis II rocket from a launch pad at Kennedy Space Center due to cold weather in Florida.

The agency had planned to begin the rollback of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Tuesday but is now eyeing Wednesday.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX LOCAL APP

"Cold temperatures and high winds are expected Tuesday, and rolling on Feb. 25, gives teams enough time to complete preparations at the launch pad that were limited today by high winds in the area," NASA said in an update.

During the rollback, Artemis II will make the 4-mile trek from Launch Pad 39 to the VAB. It could take up to 12 hours to complete.

NASA is returning Artemis II to the VAB so teams can fix a problem discovered over the weekend with helium flow on the rocket's upper stage.

The helium issue is separate from the hydrogen fuel leaks teams encountered during a wet dress rehearsal earlier this month. That issue forced NASA to conduct a second dress rehearsal last week, which was successfully completed on Thursday. 

The March launch window NASA was targeting for the Artemis II is no longer an option. The earliest possible launch window is now in April.

SIGN-UP FOR FOX 35'S BREAKING NEWS, DAILY NEWS NEWSLETTERS

What is the Artemis II mission?

The historic Artemis II mission will send four astronauts on a trip around the moon.

It will mark the first crewed flight to the moon in more than 50 years.

FILE - NASA astronauts (left to right) Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen. (Credit: NASA/Josh Valcarcel)

The four-person crew traveling on an Orion spacecraft for the 10-day trip include NASA's Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover (pilot), and Christina Koch (mission specialist); and Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen (mission specialist).

The crew was released from quarantine on Saturday, and they remain in Houston, NASA said. 

The Source: This article was written with information released by NASA and previous FOX 35 reporting. 

SpaceNASABrevard County News