Technical issues delay moon mission

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AFP February 22, 2026 Less than a minute read

Jared Isaacman, US President Donald Trump's nominee to be administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), testifies during a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, December 3, 2025.PHOTO: REUTERS

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WASHINGTON:

NASA chief Jared Isaacman on Saturday ruled out a March launch for Artemis 2, the first crewed flyby mission to the Moon in more than 50 years, citing technical issues.

Workers detected a problem with helium flow to the massive SLS rocket that will “take the March launch window out of consideration,” Issacman said in a post on X.

“I understand people are disappointed by this development. That disappointment is felt most by the team at NASA, who have been working tirelessly to prepare for this great endeavor,” Isaacman said.

“During the 1960s, when NASA achieved what most thought was impossible, and what has never been repeated since, there were many setbacks.”
The towering SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft will be rolled back into the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to investigate the technical issues and make any necessary repairs, Isaacman said.