Washington: The head of the NASA has officially ruled out a planned March 2026 launch of its highly anticipated Artemis II Moon mission, citing lingering technical issues with the rocket that cannot be resolved in time for the current launch window.
Administrator Jared Isaacman had announced on Saturday that engineers have identified a helium-flow problem in the upper stages of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket — the powerful booster designed to carry astronauts around the Moon, reported BBC. The issue, detected late during final preparations, will prevent the mission from meeting its targeted March dates.
NASA teams are now preparing to roll the SLS rocket and its Orion crew capsule back from Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, to the Vehicle Assembly Building so technicians can access and repair the faulty system — a move that effectively takes the March launch window “out of consideration.”
🚀 @NASAAdmin out at LC-39B this afternoon with the team that had been up all night troubleshooting the Artemis II helium issues.
The Administrator met with the workforce, acknowledged their contributions, and promised all the support necessary to get the vehicle back to the… pic.twitter.com/sTFdhdMHdi
— Bethany Stevens (@NASASpox) February 21, 2026
Isaacman acknowledged disappointment among spaceflight supporters and within NASA, emphasizing the dedication of engineers and technicians working on the mission. He referenced past setbacks in lunar exploration history and underscored that ensuring safety and mission success remains a top priority.
The Artemis II mission is poised to be the first crewed voyage around the Moon in more than half a century, carrying a four-person international crew — three Americans and one Canadian — on an approximately 10-day journey beyond lunar orbit. The flight is a critical test of NASA’s deep-space systems and a stepping stone toward the agency’s broader goal of landing astronauts on the lunar surface in future missions.