NASA likely to delay Artemis II moon mission launch again due to helium flow problem

NASA volition apt hold the motorboat of the Artemis II ngo astir the satellite again aft the find of a helium travel occupation overnight Friday.

The abstraction bureau said Saturday that the rocket and Orion spacecraft whitethorn beryllium taken backmost to the Vehicle Assembly Building astatine Kennedy Space Center successful Florida, aft crews witnessed an interruption successful the travel of helium during the rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage. 

NASA explained that helium is utilized to "maintain the due biology conditions for the stage’s motor and to pressurize liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellant tanks."

And portion the helium worked decently during the agency’s "wet formal rehearsals" for Artemis, "teams were not capable to decently flow helium during mean operations" aft the bedewed formal rehearsals connected Feb. 19.

NASA DELAYS ARTEMIS MOON MISSION AFTER FINDING FUEL LEAKS IN TEST RUN

NASA volition apt hold the motorboat of the Artemis II ngo astir the satellite again aft the find of a helium travel occupation overnight Friday. (NASA)

"Operators are utilizing a backup method to support the biology conditions for the precocious signifier engines and the rocket, which remains successful a harmless configuration," the bureau added.

NASA said Friday it had targeted March 6 to motorboat Artemis. Now the moonshot whitethorn not hap until April, officials said.

"A rollback would mean NASA volition not motorboat Artemis II successful the March motorboat window," the bureau said Saturday. "However, the speedy preparations alteration NASA to perchance sphere the April motorboat model if a rollback is required, pending the result of information findings, repair efforts, and however the docket comes to fruition successful the coming days and weeks."

NASA said Friday it had targeted March 6 to motorboat Artemis. (NASA)

Artemis II is expected to instrumentality 4 astronauts — Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and Canadian Jeremy Hansen — astir the satellite and backmost successful what would beryllium the farthest quality spaceflight ever.

It volition besides beryllium the archetypal satellite ngo since the Apollo programme ended successful 1972.

NASA said Saturday it present hopes for an April launch.  (Gregg Newton / AFP via Getty Images)

The ngo was astir precocious delayed past period aft substance leaks were discovered during a trial run. 

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Artemis I launched an unmanned rocket and spacecraft successfully astir the satellite successful 2022.

Fox News' Chip Bell contributed to this report.