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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NASA successfully completed a critical fueling rehearsal on Thursday (19 February) for its giant moon rocket, Artemis II, after earlier hydrogen leaks...
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The United States and international partners have announced billions of dollars in pledges to rebuild Gaza but many Palestinians remain sceptical about whether the funds will translate into tangible improvements for daily life.
The former Prince Andrew’s brief arrest on Thursday (19 February) has highlighted the challenges of prosecuting alleged misconduct in public office, with potential implications for the British monarchy’s public role, according to political analyst Nuno Wahnon Martins.
Spain’s Constitutional Court has rejected an appeal by the father of a 25‑year‑old woman who opposed her right to euthanasia, clearing the way for the procedure to go ahead, the court said on Friday (20 February).
Türkiye has signalled readiness to contribute to a proposed Gaza stabilisation force during the inaugural Board of Peace meeting on Thursday (19 February), but according to former Turkish diplomat Mehmet Öğütçü, the decisive factor will be whether Israel and the United States agree on Ankara’s role.
Israel is preparing for the possibility of receiving a green light from the United States to launch strikes against Iran’s ballistic missile system, according to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN.
Aghdam’s Qarabag FK experienced a 6–1 defeat to England’s Newcastle United in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off tie in Azerbaijan's capital Baku Wednesday evening (18 February).
U.S. President Donald Trump’s 'Board of Peace' will hold its first leaders’ meeting on Thursday (19 February) in Washington, D.C., launching an initiative aimed at stabilising Gaza and addressing global conflicts. It's drawn support from regional powers but refusals from several EU countries.
The Board of Peace will be "looking over the United Nations," said U.S. President Donald Trump at the inaugural Washington meeting, where representatives from over 20 countries gathered to unveil plans for Gaza’s reconstruction and coordinate international support.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez in the Kremlin on Wednesday, telling him that new restrictions imposed on the communist-run island were unacceptable.
ByteDance will take steps to prevent the unauthorised use of intellectual property on its artificial intelligence (AI) video generator Seedance 2.0, the Chinese technology firm said on Monday.
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BMW is recalling a mid six figure number of vehicles worldwide after identifying a potential fire risk linked to the starter motor.
British chipmaker Fractile will invest £100 million over the next three years to expand its artificial intelligence hardware operations in the UK, opening a new engineering facility in Bristol as it ramps up production of next-generation AI systems.
The European Union has launched its largest semiconductor pilot line under the European Chips Act, investing €700 million ($832 million) in the new NanoIC facility at IMEC in Leuven, Belgium, as part of efforts to strengthen Europe’s technological sovereignty.
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