NASA postpones moon mission to repair rocket, eliminates March launch possibility

NASA is transporting its massive moon rocket from its launchpad to address a technical issue, thereby postponing the agency’s highly anticipated mission to send a four-person crew around the moon.

On Saturday, NASA disclosed its plan to return the Boeing-built Space Launch System rocket to its hangar at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This move is intended to rectify a problem identified in the vehicle’s upper section: an interruption in the flow of helium, which is essential for launch.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated that the necessary repairs could only be performed at the immense Vehicle Assembly Building hangar at KSC. He also pointed out that a similar helium problem had occurred during the SLS’s initial flight in 2022.

“I understand people are disappointed by this development,” Isaacman commented. “That disappointment is felt most by the team at NASA, who have been working tirelessly to prepare for this great endeavor.”

This setback comes just one day after the agency announced the crew for the Artemis II lunar mission, which will carry people around the moon for the first time in over 50 years. Isaacman confirmed that the launch will not happen in March, with April now being the earliest possible launch opportunity.

On Thursday, NASA conducted a detailed dress rehearsal with the rocket, during which engineers filled the vehicle with propellant and simulated many of the procedures scheduled for launch day. The agency had initially set the March launch date after that exercise appeared to proceed without issues.