Artemis wet dress rehearsal delayed again over venting issues

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A massive wet dress rehearsal for a rocket and spacecraft that could return astronauts to the moon was scrubbed again Monday for issues unrelated to Sunday's delay.

NASA said Monday afternoon that just prior to sending liquid hydrogen into the vehicle, the team was unable to open a necessary vent valve on the launcher. Crews worked to fix the issue, but the director ended up calling off the test for the day. 

The so-called wet dress rehearsal was called off on Sunday while the fuel was being loaded. NASA says technical issues could have put technicians at risk of exposure to hazardous gases.

RELATED: NASA's Artemis moon rocket on launchpad at Kennedy Space Center

An uncrewed mission could launch in June or July with future flights sending astronauts back to the moon later this decade. 

This all comes after this scary scene Saturday at the launchpad. Lightning struck a tower right next to the Artemis I rocket. 

NASA ran a series of tests on Monday to make sure no systems were impacted.

The space agency says it hopes to return to the moon no earlier than 2025.

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