Artemis II rocket passes critical test ahead of NASA lunar trip

NASA successfully completed a critical fueling rehearsal on Thursday (19 February) for its giant moon rocket, Artemis II, after earlier hydrogen leaks disrupted preparations for the next crewed lunar mission. The launch is scheduled for 6 March, according to the latest information from NASA.

For the second time this month, launch teams loaded more than 700,000 gallons (2.6 million litres) of supercold propellant into the 322-foot (98-metre) Space Launch System rocket at Kennedy Space Center.

Engineers counted down to the final 30 seconds before resetting the clock to repeat the last 10 minutes of the simulation.

The test recorded only minimal hydrogen leakage - well within safety limits - marking a significant improvement from the previous attempt, when dangerous amounts of liquid hydrogen escaped from connections between the launch pad and the rocket.

Engineers had replaced a pair of seals and a clogged filter following the earlier test. NASA said the latest results provided confidence in the upgraded hardware.

The Artemis II mission would send four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back. The flight would mark the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. The crew will neither land on the lunar surface nor enter lunar orbit.

Hydrogen leaks have long posed challenges for NASA, dating back to the space shuttle era, whose engines were adapted for the Space Launch System. The uncrewed Artemis I mission was delayed for months by similar fuel issues before launching in November 2022.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency will not proceed unless safety standards are fully met. He has pledged to redesign the rocket-to-pad fuel connections ahead of the future Artemis III mission, which aims to land astronauts near the moon’s south pole.

Isaacman also reiterated safety concerns amid scrutiny of Boeing’s Starliner capsule programme, following issues that left two astronauts stranded aboard the International Space Station for months.

“We will not launch unless we are ready,” Isaacman said, stressing that astronaut safety remains the agency’s top priority.

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