NASA Prepares Rollback After Helium Flow Interrupts Artemis II
Interrupted helium flow to the SLS upper stage removes a March 6 target and prompts NASA to prepare rollback with April launch opportunities.
Overview
NASA observed an interrupted helium flow overnight to the Space Launch System rocket's interim cryogenic propulsion stage, and officials said this will almost assuredly take the March launch window out of consideration.
Helium flow is required to purge engines and pressurize fuel tanks, and NASA said the affected area can only be accessed by rolling the 322-foot (98-meter) rocket back to the Vehicle Assembly Building.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said a bad filter, valve or connection plate could be to blame, and the agency said it was preparing to return the rocket to its hangar while considering pad repairs.
Artemis II’s four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—had entered a two-week quarantine, and a recent fueling test used about 730,000 gallons of propellant over 50 hours.
NASA said it will begin rollback preparations, that its next launch opportunities would be at the beginning or end of April, and that Artemis III is scheduled for 2028 as the planned crewed lunar landing attempt.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present the delay as a technical setback framed sympathetically: they use mildly dramatic wording ("all that changed in less than 24 hours," "giant") and foreground NASA's reassuring, historically framed statements and team-effort emphasis. Coverage relies heavily on agency statements and operational detail while omitting independent technical analysis, steering readers toward an empathetic, process-focused narrative.
Sources (8)
FAQ
The exact cause is not yet known, but NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman suggested it could be a bad filter, valve, or connection plate in the SLS upper stage helium tanks.
The affected area in the interim cryogenic propulsion stage can only be accessed and remediated in the VAB, as it cannot be fixed at the launch pad.
The March 6 launch window is no longer possible, with next opportunities at the beginning or end of April.
The crew consists of Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency.
The second wet dress rehearsal on Thursday successfully loaded over 700,000 gallons of propellant with no hydrogen leaks, unlike the first test.
History
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