NASA rules out a March launch for its crewed moon mission due to technical issues.
Published On 26 Feb, 2026
NASA chief Jared Isaacman says Artemis 2 – the first crewed flyby mission to the moon in more than 50 years – will not launch next month because of technical problems.
Workers detected an issue with helium flow to the massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that will “take the March launch window out of consideration”, Issacman said in a post on social media Saturday.
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Solid helium flow is essential for purging the rocket’s engines and pressurising its fuel tanks.
“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.
NASA’s next opportunity for the launch would be at the beginning or end of April.
The US space agency hopes to put humans back on the moon as China forges ahead with a rival effort that is targeting 2030 at the latest for its first crewed mission.
China’s uncrewed Chang’e 7 mission is expected to be launched in 2026 for an exploration of the moon’s south pole, and testing of its crewed spacecraft Mengzhou is also set to go ahead this year.
