NASA Artemis Rocket Launch Fuel Test Went Well, Sets Target On March 6 Liftoff

Kennedy : NASA Artemis Rocket Launch mission has cleared a major hurdle following a highly successful second wet dress rehearsal, positioning the crewed lunar flyby for a potential liftoff as early as March 6, 2026.

The test, conducted on February 19 at Launch Pad 39B in NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida, involved loading the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with approximately 730,000 gallons (2.76 million liters) of cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants into its core and upper stages. Teams simulated key prelaunch sequences, advancing the countdown clock to T-33 seconds before recycling and reaching T-29 seconds, with time remaining in the window. All critical elements including propellant loading, ground systems, and the Orion spacecraft interface performed effectively.

This marked a strong rebound from the initial wet dress rehearsal on February 2, which was halted early due to liquid hydrogen leaks at the tail service mast umbilical interface. Engineers addressed the problem by replacing two seals, a fix validated during a partial fueling “confidence test” on February 12 and confirmed during the full rehearsal, where there was “really no leakage to speak of,” according to Artemis II Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson in a post-test press conference reported by Space.com.

John Honeycutt, chair of the Artemis II Mission Management Team, described the February 19 effort as going “extremely well.” Lori Glaze, manager of NASA’s Moon-to-Mars Program, highlighted crew enthusiasm, noting conversations with Commander Reid Wiseman, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen, who expressed that “this is really getting real.”

The four-person crew NASA’s Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover (pilot), Christina Koch (mission specialist), and Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen entered a roughly 14-day quarantine on February 20 at Johnson Space Center in Houston to minimize health risks ahead of launch. They will relocate to Kennedy Space Center about five days prior to liftoff.

Artemis II aims to send the astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon and back, the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in December 1972 testing SLS and Orion for future landings. Remaining steps include installing contingency pad access trusses for flight termination system testing and holding a flight readiness review expected later in the week.

Backup launch opportunities follow in early April if needed. NASA officials stressed the March 6 target (with windows through March 9-10) comes with caveats pending final preparations.

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