Why NASA’s Artemis II Moon Shot Will Slip to March

Space agency contended with a familiar issue during a wet dress rehearsal.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, February 03, 2026 at 02:30 PM ET

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Jack Daleo

NASA’s integrated Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule stand at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of the Artemis II mission. [Credit: NASA/Brandon Hancock]

Key Takeaways:

NASA's Artemis II mission, aiming to send astronauts around the moon, has been delayed from its initial February target to no sooner than March due due to complications during a crucial wet dress rehearsal.
The preflight test encountered "several challenges," including a liquid hydrogen leak, a longer-than-anticipated crew closeout procedure, and issues with ground communication, necessitating at least one more rehearsal.
Some of the identified problems, like hydrogen leaks, were also encountered during the uncrewed Artemis I preparations, and the mission is proceeding with a reused heat shield that showed charring issues on Artemis I, requiring trajectory adjustments.

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Though NASA was optimistic about launching four astronauts on a trip around the moon as early as Friday, the space agency is now looking at March after complications during a key preflight test.

As it prepares for the Artemis II mission, NASA on Saturday evening began a wet dress rehearsal (WDR). The prelaunch exercise is designed to practice fueling the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket—the vehicle that will launch NASA’s Orion crew capsule on a 10-day mission to the moon and back—and identify any issues that might occur during the countdown to liftoff.