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 crewed moon mission has been delayed from early February to no sooner than March, following "several challenges" encountered during a crucial wet dress rehearsal (WDR).
Key issues during the WDR included a significant liquid hydrogen leak in the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, an extended astronaut closeout procedure, and intermittent ground communication dropouts.
Some of these technical problems, particularly the hydrogen leaks, are recurring issues previously faced during preparations for the uncrewed Artemis I mission.
Despite heat shield issues observed during Artemis I's reentry, NASA plans to use the same heat shield for Artemis II, mitigating risk by altering the Orion capsule's return trajectory.

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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.