{"id":46845,"date":"2026-02-22T01:45:24","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T01:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bondahx.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/22\/helium-problem-forces-nasa-to-delay-artemis-2-moon-mission-geekwire\/"},"modified":"2026-02-22T01:45:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T01:45:24","slug":"helium-problem-forces-nasa-to-delay-artemis-2-moon-mission-geekwire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bondahx.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/22\/helium-problem-forces-nasa-to-delay-artemis-2-moon-mission-geekwire\/","title":{"rendered":"Helium problem forces NASA to delay Artemis 2 moon mission \u2013 GeekWire"},"content":{"rendered":"


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by Alan Boyle<\/a><\/strong><\/span> on

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NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, far left, walks around Launch Complex 39B at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida with a team of troubleshooters working on a helium flow issue with the Space Launch System rocket in the background. (NASA Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman says the giant rocket set to send four astronauts around the moon for the history-making Artemis 2 mission must be rolled back from its launch pad to troubleshoot a technical problem.<\/p>\n

The 10-day mission, previously scheduled for as soon as March, is now postponed until April at the earliest. \u201cI understand people are disappointed by this development,\u201d Isaacman said in a posting to X<\/a>. \u201cThat disappointment is felt most by the team at NASA, who have been working tirelessly to prepare for this great endeavor.\u201d<\/p>\n

The technical issue cropped up just days after a successful launch-pad rehearsal<\/a> at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center. Data from the Space Launch System rocket\u2019s upper stage registered an interruption in the flow of helium, which is used to pressurize the propellant tanks and purge the engines. \u201cLast evening, the team was unable to get helium flow through the vehicle,\u201d Isaacman wrote today. \u201cThis occurred during a routine operation to repressurize the system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Isaacman said the helium pressurization system worked correctly during this week\u2019s wet dress rehearsal. For what it\u2019s worth, a problem with a helium valve<\/a> cropped up during preparations for the uncrewed Artemis 1 round-the-moon mission in 2022, leading NASA managers to take corrective actions.<\/p>\n

The current problem could be due to a failure at any of several points in the helium supply system. \u201cRegardless of the potential fault, accessing and remediating any of these issues can only be performed in the VAB,\u201d said Isaacman, referring to the 52-story Vehicle Assembly Building where the SLS and its Orion crew capsule were stacked for launch.<\/p>\n

With March out of consideration, the next available launch dates for Artemis 2 are April 1 and April 3-6. The mission aims to send three NASA astronauts and a Canadian astronaut on a figure-8 route around the moon \u2014 which would mark the first time humans have traveled beyond Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. A successful Artemis 2 mission would clear the way for Artemis 3\u2019s crewed lunar landing.<\/p>\n

Several companies with a presence in the Seattle area are banking on Artemis\u2019 success. <\/p>\n

For example, a facility in Redmond operated by L3Harris (previously known as Aerojet Rocketdyne) builds thrusters for the Orion spacecraft<\/a>\u00a0and is already working ahead on the Artemis 8 mission<\/a>. Boeing is the lead contractor for the SLS rocket\u2019s core stage<\/a>. And Jeff Bezos\u2019 Blue Origin space venture, based in Kent, is\u00a0developing a Blue Moon lander<\/a>\u00a0that\u2019s meant to put Artemis crews on the lunar surface starting in 2030. Blue Origin\u2019s New Glenn rocket is expected to send an uncrewed cargo version of its lander to the moon\u00a0sometime in the next few months<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n


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Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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