Moon Rocket Suffers New Setback, March Launch in Doubt

The upcoming Artemis II mission, humanity's first crewed lunar flight in over half a century, faces potential delays. NASA's new moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), experienced an unexpected interruption in its helium flow to the upper stage on Saturday, February 21, 2026. This issue, separate from earlier hydrogen fuel leaks, has put the targeted March 6 launch window in jeopardy. Engineers are evaluating the situation at Kennedy Space Center, considering both on-pad repairs and returning the 322-foot rocket to the hangar. This setback follows a recent dress rehearsal that was also impacted by hydrogen fuel leaks. The SLS rocket's upper stage is critical for positioning the Orion crew capsule in orbit for astronaut practice. The Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon, has had one prior uncrewed lunar-orbiting mission in 2022, which also faced delays due to hydrogen leaks. The first lunar landing under Artemis is still anticipated to be several years away.