NASA prepares first crewed Moon mission in 50 years

The team behind Artemis 2 has spent the past two days reviewing the Flight Readiness Review (FRR) ahead of returning the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft to the launch pad after repairs at the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, according to Space.com.

The rollout to the launch pad is scheduled for March 19, and NASA is targeting a launch date of April 1, officials announced, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

During a post-review press conference, Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development, said the team held very detailed, open and transparent discussions during the review.

“We talked extensively about our risk posture and how we mitigate those risks,” Glaze said, noting that safety remains the agency’s top priority as teams prepare for the next launch opportunity.

Artemis 2 will be NASA’s first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years. The mission will send astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth aboard Orion.

The launch had originally been planned earlier this month. However, the SLS rocket experienced an unstable fueling test during the first “wet dress rehearsal” countdown simulation. The procedure was successfully completed during a second attempt in February.

Afterward, engineers detected a helium flow interruption in the SLS upper stage, prompting the rocket to return to the assembly building on February 25 for repairs.

NASA engineers traced the issue to a quick-disconnect (QD) seal on the rocket’s upper stage. The QD is the interface where launch tower umbilicals transfer fuel into the vehicle. A similar problem previously caused a hydrogen leak during the first rehearsal.

Shawn Quinn, exploration ground systems program manager at NASA, said engineers developed and tested a new design solution, which has now been installed on the rocket.

Officials now say the problem has been resolved and a third fueling test will not be necessary, allowing the mission to proceed directly to launch preparations.

Helium is used to pressurize fuel tanks and support environmental systems aboard the rocket. According to Glaze, each fueling test slightly reduces the lifespan of the tanks.

“From my perspective, the next time we fuel the vehicle, I’d like it to be on a day when we can actually launch,” she said.

The mission will be the second flight of NASA’s Artemis program, following Artemis 1, which launched an uncrewed Orion capsule around the Moon in November 2022 to test the spacecraft’s systems.

Ultimately, the goal of the Artemis program is to establish a sustained human presence on and around the Moon, helping develop the technology and experience needed for a future human mission to Mars in the 2040s.

Under updated plans, Artemis 3 will focus on rendezvous and docking operations between Orion and landing systems such as Starship HLS from SpaceX or the Blue Moon lander from Blue Origin.

The first human lunar landing of the Artemis program is now planned for Artemis 4, with a second landing targeted for Artemis 5 less than a year later.

If Artemis 2 cannot launch on April 1, additional launch opportunities are available between April 2 and April 6, with another window opening on April 30 and extending into May.