Nasa's ambitious Moon mission delayed: Artemis II rocket rolled back for repairs
Times of India
by TOI SCIENCE DESKFebruary 25, 2026
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NASA has announced the postponement of its Artemis II moon mission due to a technical issue with the rocket’s helium pressurization system, marking another setback for the ambitious lunar program. The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft were rolled back from the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs. This slow-motion rollback, expected to take about 12 hours, will allow engineers to address the helium flow problem that was discovered after the rocket had been on standby for a month.
The mission, which aims to send four astronauts on a lunar flyby, has faced multiple delays. Earlier in January, a hydrogen fuel leak during testing pushed back the launch window, which was already rescheduled from December. With this latest issue, NASA officials have confirmed that the March launch window is no longer feasible. The delay means the Artemis II crew, who were recently guests at President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, will not need to quarantine ahead of flight preparations.
The Artemis II mission is a critical step toward NASA’s long-term goal of returning humans to the Moon and establishing sustainable exploration. As the first crewed flight of the Artemis program, it represents a significant milestone in the agency’s plans for deep-space exploration. The rollback and subsequent repairs will ensure that the rocket and spacecraft are ready for future attempts at launch
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Originally published on Times of India on 2/25/2026