NASA detects hydrogen leak during fueling test of Artemis II rocket launch; what is this first crewed lunar mission? | World News

The international space agency NASA reported a leak while fueling its new moon rocket on Monday during a critical test that will determine when astronauts can begin a flyby mission to the Moon (Artemis II).

The launch team began loading the 98-meter (322-foot) rocket with ultracold hydrogen and oxygen at noon at the Kennedy Space Center. The process required over 700,000 gallons (2.6 million litres) to fill the tanks and remain on board for several hours, simulating the final moments of a real launch countdown.

However, just a few hours into the day-long fueling process, unusually high levels of hydrogen were detected near the base of the rocket. As a result, hydrogen charging was stopped, leaving the core stage only half full.

The launch team worked quickly to resolve the problem using methods developed during the first Space Launch System rocket launch three years ago; This system also experienced hydrogen leakage before takeoff.

Crew members, including three Americans and one Canadian, watched the final crucial dress rehearsal from a distance of nearly 1,000 miles.

Crew members, three Americans and one Canadian, watched the momentous dress rehearsal from Houston, home of the Johnson Space Center, about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) away. They had been in quarantine for the last week and a half, waiting to see the results of the training countdown.

The all-day operation will decide when they can launch the first lunar mission by a crew in more than half a century.

The mission has already suffered a two-day delay due to severe cold. According to reports, Hydrogen leaks caused the first SLS rocket to remain on the runway for months in 2022.

If the fuel test is completed successfully and on time, NASA will be able to send commander Reid Wiseman and his team to the moon as early as Sunday. The rocket must be launched by February 11, otherwise the mission will be postponed until March. NASA only has a limited number of launch days each month, and the already narrow window in February was shortened by two days due to extremely cold conditions.

During the Artemis II wet suit rehearsal, NASA teams placed all cryogenic tanks on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket into resupply mode. This applies to both the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks in the core stage and the intermediate cryogenic drive stage.

The Space Agency said engineers are actively monitoring hydrogen concentrations at the tail service pylon hub, the site of a previous leak, and report that levels are now stable.

What is the Artemis II mission and why is it important?

Artemis II is the second crewed lunar mission from NASA’s Artemis program, scheduled for launch in February 2026. It will send four astronauts, including mission specialist Jeremy Hansen; Victor Glover, pilot; Reid Wiseman, commander; and Christina Hammock Koch on a 10-day flight aboard the Orion spacecraft using the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The crew will orbit the Earth, travel to the Moon, fly around the far side of the Moon in free-return orbit, and return to Earth without landing; This will be the first human attempt to go beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.

According to NASA, Artemis II will build on the success of the uncrewed Artemis I in 2022 and will demonstrate the wide range of capabilities needed in deep space missions.

The Artemis II test flight will be the space agency’s first mission with the crew on the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft. This marks an important step towards a long-term return to the Moon and a future Mars mission.

The importance of this mission is to test Orion’s life support, navigation and deep space capabilities with humans on board, paving the way for the lunar landing of Artemis III and establishing a sustainable lunar presence.