NASA Postpones Fueling Test, Targets Feb. 8 Artemis II Launch
NASA called off the Jan. 31 fueling and now targets Artemis II for no earlier than Feb. 8, 2026 because of near-freezing temperatures at Kennedy Space Center.
Overview
NASA said in a statement Jan. 30, 2026 that it called off the Jan. 31, 2026 fueling test for the 322-foot (98-meter) Space Launch System and now targets the Artemis II crewed flight for no earlier than Feb. 8, 2026 because of near-freezing temperatures at Kennedy Space Center.
The delay leaves NASA with only three days in February to complete launch operations before schedules would slip into March, officials said Jan. 30, 2026.
Commander Reid Wiseman and his crew are already in quarantine in Houston and NASA mission managers said heaters are keeping the Orion capsule warm atop the rocket while teams adapt purge systems to operate in the cold, officials said Jan. 30, 2026.
The Artemis II mission will carry four astronauts aboard the 322-foot (98-meter) SLS and Orion capsule, and teams will fill more than 700,000 gallons of super-cold propellant, stopping fueling 30 seconds short of engine ignition, NASA records show.
Mission managers rescheduled the dress rehearsal for Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, weather permitting, and said if Monday's fueling test succeeds NASA could attempt a launch within a week while any additional delay would push the flight into March, officials said Jan. 30, 2026.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this coverage neutrally, focusing on factual mission details (practice countdown, fuel quantities, crew quarantine) and schedule impacts without evaluative language. They provide technical specifics and historical context (Apollo missions) and treat delays as operational updates, not political issues, demonstrating balanced, informational reporting.
Sources (7)
FAQ
The Jan. 31, 2026 fueling test, known as the wet dress rehearsal, was called off due to near-freezing temperatures at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA now targets Artemis II for no earlier than February 8, 2026, with possible launch dates of Feb. 8, 10, or 11.
The crew includes Commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
The wet dress rehearsal is a critical fueling test where teams load over 700,000 gallons of super-cold propellant into the SLS rocket and Orion capsule, stopping 30 seconds before engine ignition.
If Artemis II launches on Feb. 8, Crew-12 to the ISS is delayed until at least Feb. 19 after the 10-day Artemis mission; later Artemis dates allow Crew-12 around 11 days after, or Feb. 11-12 if Artemis slips to March.
History
4 sources