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NASA Pushes Artemis II Launch to March After Hydrogen Leak Halts Countdown Test

NASA will conduct a second wet dress rehearsal before setting a firm launch date.

The NASA Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket with the Orion spacecraft is seen at Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
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The integrated SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft for Artemis 2 are pictured at Kennedy Space Center’s Pad 39B on Jan. 29, 2026, following rollout to the launch site. NASA is targeting a launch window that opens on Feb. 8. Credit: NASA/Jim Ross

Overview

  • Engineers ended the wet dress rehearsal at T-5:15 when a liquid hydrogen leak spiked at the tail service mast umbilical.
  • The rehearsal successfully loaded more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellant and exercised pad closeout and drain procedures.
  • Other issues under review include a valve tied to the Orion crew module hatch pressurization and intermittent ground audio dropouts.
  • NASA moved off the February window and lists March 6–9 and March 11 as the next available opportunities, with April dates as backups.
  • The four-person crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—has been released from quarantine and will re-enter about two weeks before the next target.