NASA Delays Historic Moon Mission Amid Leaks in Critical Rocket Tests
A crucial test of NASA's most powerful rocket yet, the Space Launch System (SLS), revealed two critical issues that have forced a month-long delay to the historic Artemis II mission. The US space agency had initially planned to launch the mission as early as next week from Kennedy Space Center in Florida but announced the postponement overnight.
During a wet dress rehearsal, which simulates the final stages of a real-life countdown, engineers detected leaking hydrogen and encountered problems with a valve associated with the Orion capsule that will serve as the crew's living quarters. The test involved over 2.6 million liters (700,000 gallons) of super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen flowing into the tanks.
The delay has dealt a significant blow to the crew, who have been in quarantine for close to two weeks to prevent them from contracting illnesses before the mission. Christina Koch and Victor Glover, who will become the first woman and person of color respectively to travel beyond low Earth orbit, are set to embark on a 10-day journey around the moon.
The Artemis II mission marks the second flight of NASA's SLS rocket, following an uncrewed test in 2022 that was also plagued by hydrogen leaks. On this occasion, astronauts will not enter lunar orbit but instead make the 685,000-mile round trip to travel around the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.
The mission is a crucial step towards establishing a permanent presence on the lunar surface as part of NASA's Artemis program, named after the Greek goddess of the moon and twin sister of Apollo. However, this delay will undoubtedly raise concerns about the readiness of the agency's most ambitious space exploration plans.
A crucial test of NASA's most powerful rocket yet, the Space Launch System (SLS), revealed two critical issues that have forced a month-long delay to the historic Artemis II mission. The US space agency had initially planned to launch the mission as early as next week from Kennedy Space Center in Florida but announced the postponement overnight.
During a wet dress rehearsal, which simulates the final stages of a real-life countdown, engineers detected leaking hydrogen and encountered problems with a valve associated with the Orion capsule that will serve as the crew's living quarters. The test involved over 2.6 million liters (700,000 gallons) of super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen flowing into the tanks.
The delay has dealt a significant blow to the crew, who have been in quarantine for close to two weeks to prevent them from contracting illnesses before the mission. Christina Koch and Victor Glover, who will become the first woman and person of color respectively to travel beyond low Earth orbit, are set to embark on a 10-day journey around the moon.
The Artemis II mission marks the second flight of NASA's SLS rocket, following an uncrewed test in 2022 that was also plagued by hydrogen leaks. On this occasion, astronauts will not enter lunar orbit but instead make the 685,000-mile round trip to travel around the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.
The mission is a crucial step towards establishing a permanent presence on the lunar surface as part of NASA's Artemis program, named after the Greek goddess of the moon and twin sister of Apollo. However, this delay will undoubtedly raise concerns about the readiness of the agency's most ambitious space exploration plans.
. A month-long delay for a historic mission doesn't exactly fill me with confidence in their ability to get it right on the first try. I mean, two critical issues during a wet dress rehearsal? That's a pretty big deal, especially when you're dealing with massive amounts of liquid hydrogen and oxygen 
.
. It just seems like this is par for the course for NASA right now - delays, setbacks, and a whole lot of uncertainty 
. I'm all for pushing the boundaries of space exploration, but can't we get it together for once? The Artemis program has huge potential, but if they can't even nail down the basics, how are they going to make it happen on time? 
omg whatttt! I was so hyped for that mission 
to go around the moon, now it's like we gotta wait another month?!? 
I get it tho, safety first, can't have any leaks or valve probs 
. Those astronauts are gonna be stuck in quarantine for even longer 
. Christina and Victor, you guys r gonna make it happen! 
. Let's keep the positivity and cheer on NASA!!! 
I'm not surprised to see another delay in the Artemis II mission... it feels like a recurring theme with NASA's rocket tests 
That would give me a better idea about whether we're talking about minor teething issues or something more fundamental that needs to be addressed. 
a month-long delay is like, forever in space time! i feel bad for christina and victor tho, all that quarantine stress... and what's up with the valve thingy? 
it's just hydrogen leaks for the 2nd time already... hopefully they get it together soon so they can make history 
. A month-long delay is a huge bummer, especially for the crew who have been stuck in quarantine for weeks 
. It's not like they can just take off and go on a space adventure 
. The SLS rocket is supposed to be the most powerful one yet, but instead of launching next week, it's going to sit idle for another month 
. Delaying the mission even by a month feels like a huge setback for NASA's goals 
. It's not like they're launching into space with no safety checks, but it's still super concerning that there were leaks in their rocket tests 
. I mean, what if this happens again and it's a real disaster? 
The Artemis program is all about making humanity a multi-planetary species 
, so this delay really puts the brakes on things 
. Fingers crossed they can get everything sorted out soon! 
Ugh, just when we're all hyped for that historic moon mission... 
NASA can't even get their rocket tests right 
And now we're talking about a delay because of it... 
The Artemis program is all about being a leader in space exploration, but if they can't even get their own tests right... 
I'm still rooting for NASA to succeed, but this delay is gonna raise some serious eyebrows.
. And what's with the quarantine for the crew too? That's just cruel 
they're in quarantine for almost 2 weeks already, that's so unfair to them 
& the rest of the team who've been working so hard on dis mission 