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NASA Pushes Artemis II to March After Hydrogen Leak Ends Countdown Rehearsal

The agency will conduct a second fueling rehearsal to verify fixes before setting a new target.

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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

  • A wet dress rehearsal at Kennedy Space Center was automatically halted at T-5:15 when a liquid hydrogen leak spiked at the tail service mast interface on the SLS core stage.
  • Teams successfully loaded more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellant and completed many objectives before the leak forced the test to stop.
  • NASA moved off the February window and cited earliest launch opportunities on March 6–9 and March 11, with additional April dates if required.
  • Engineers will review data, address hardware and communications issues, and repeat a full fueling rehearsal before setting a specific March target.
  • The Artemis II crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—was released from quarantine and will re-enter roughly two weeks before the next attempt.