New Delhi, Feb 3 (NationPress) NASA has decided to delay the groundbreaking Artemis II mission to the Moon until March, following the discovery of a hydrogen leak during a vital fuelling test.

The mission, which aims to send a crew of four astronauts on a lunar orbit from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, was originally scheduled for February 6. It was then pushed back to February 8 due to adverse cold weather conditions affecting the Florida area.

“With the conclusion of the wet dress rehearsal today, we are shifting away from the February launch window and are now aiming for March for the earliest possible launch of Artemis II,” stated NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman in a social media update.

“Our commitment to safety is paramount for our astronauts, personnel, systems, and the public. We will only proceed with the launch when we are fully prepared for this historic endeavor,” he emphasized.

The two-day testing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida commenced on January 31 and successfully filled the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket's tanks with cryogenic propellants.

However, the test was halted early on Tuesday due to a liquid hydrogen leak at the tail service mast umbilical interface, which had shown elevated levels of liquid hydrogen earlier during the countdown.

Engineers dedicated several hours to troubleshooting the issue but were ultimately unsuccessful.

“The team conducted a preliminary run of terminal countdown operations during the test, reaching approximately five minutes left in the countdown, before the ground launch sequencer automatically halted the countdown due to a spike in the liquid hydrogen leak rate,” NASA noted in a blog update.

Furthermore, “a valve related to the Orion crew module hatch pressurization, which had recently been replaced, needed retorquing, leading to extended closeout operations,” the statement continued, acknowledging that despite facing challenges, a number of planned objectives were achieved.

A second wet dress rehearsal is anticipated in March, prior to the new launch date.

In the meantime, the Artemis II astronauts will be released from quarantine, which they began on January 21 in Houston. They will re-enter quarantine about two weeks before the next anticipated launch opportunity, according to NASA.

This 10-day mission will pave the way for Artemis III, scheduled for 2027, when humans will land on the lunar South Pole for the first time and establish a sustained presence there.

The Artemis II crew comprises NASA’s commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).