NASA has officially postponed the inaugural crewed flight of the Artemis 2 spacecraft, which was originally scheduled for February.
The Operative Information Center-OMM, citing foreign media, reports that NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced the decision via social media. The delay was necessitated by the detection of a hydrogen leak in the two-stage Space Launch System (SLS) super-heavy rocket, a critical component for the mission's propulsion.
Isaacman stated that the launch is now expected to take place in March. The mission will carry four astronauts on a historic journey to fly around the Moon without landing, marking a significant milestone in deep-space exploration. NASA had previously adjusted the launch timeline due to weather conditions, moving it from February 6 to February 8, before the technical issue led to the current month-long postponement.
The Artemis 2 mission is the first crewed element of NASA's broader Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface. This mission serves as a critical test of the Orion spacecraft's life-support systems and the SLS rocket's performance with a crew on board. Successful completion of this flight will pave the way for Artemis 3, which is intended to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon, utilizing the lunar south pole's resources for future Mars exploration.
