BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Launch teams at NASA are hoping dangerous fuel leaks have been resolved as another practice launch countdown is happening for its Artemis II mission, which will eventually send astronauts around the moon.
Repairs were made to seals and a clogged filter after the first wet dress rehearsal for Artemis II was halted by liquid hydrogen leaks with around five minutes left in the countdown.
The issue prompted NASA to bump the flight to no earlier than March 6.
[MORE: NASA targets March launch date after Artemis II test reveals fuel leaks]
Ken Kremer, who is the managing editor of SpaceUpClose.com, said it’s critically important for NASA to have a successful run through before the Space Launch System rocket is launched.
“(NASA) wants to build confidence that they can actually launch the astronauts when they put them in their seats,” Kremer said. “It’s a difficult issue to solve, because hydrogen is tough to deal with and it leaks easily.”
The same kind of hydrogen leaks also disrupted the Artemis program’s first flight, which had no crew members aboard when it launched in 2023.
[WATCH AGAIN: Launch of Artemis I]
Artemis II’s two-day test will conclude Thursday with the attempted fill-up of the rocket’s fuel tanks.
The four astronauts will monitor the crucial dress rehearsal from afar.
“All this testing has to be done to make sure it’s as safe as possible, and they have the best chance of actually launching the rocket within the two-hour window,” Kremer said.