Artemis 2 Launch Pushed Back After Cold Snap and Hydrogen Leak Disrupt Wet Dress Rehearsal

NASA's Artemis 2 crewed lunar mission has been pushed off schedule after an unusual Florida cold snap delayed a crucial prelaunch test and engineers found a hydrogen leak while fueling the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on Feb. 2. The discovery forced teams to drain the vehicle's propellant and move the earliest feasible launch opportunity to at least March 6; an official launch date has not been announced.

What Happened

A planned wet dress rehearsal—a full-fueling test designed to confirm ground systems and the rocket's readiness—was postponed when unseasonably cold weather in Florida disrupted preparations. When teams later began fueling the 322-foot SLS, they identified a hydrogen leak in the rocket's 212-foot core stage while loading cryogenic propellant. NASA drained roughly up to 700,000 gallons of propellant as a precaution.

Engineers and mission managers are investigating the leak and assessing whether the vehicle, which has been vertical on Pad 39B since mid-January, needs to be rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for repairs or further inspection. That decision will affect timing and the readiness cadence for launch teams.

Launch Windows And Timing

NASA originally identified three launch periods between Feb. 6 and April 6 tied to lunar orbital geometry. Because the first period is effectively ruled out by the rehearsal issues, the remaining windows are:

• Launch Period: Feb. 28–March 13 — Opportunities: March 6–9 and March 11
• Launch Period: March 27–April 10 — Opportunities: April 1 and April 3–6

Mission managers must align launch dates with the moon's position, which creates clusters of daily opportunities separated by multi-week gaps.

The Crew

The four-person Artemis 2 crew will fly a 10-day lunar flyby in the Orion spacecraft. The crew consists of:

• Commander Reid Wiseman (NASA) — Veteran astronaut from Baltimore; last flew in 2014.
• Pilot Victor Glover (NASA) — Flew on a SpaceX Crew mission in 2020.
• Mission Specialist Christina Koch (NASA) — Holds agency records; previous Soyuz/ISS veteran.
• Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency) — Will make his first trip to space and is poised to be the first Canadian to fly close to the moon.

Koch and Glover represent the first woman and the first African American assigned to a NASA lunar mission, respectively.

Mission Purpose

Artemis 2 will not land on the moon. Instead, the crewed mission is designed to test Orion systems and ground operations on a roughly 10-day lunar flyby, sending the spacecraft about 4,700 miles beyond the moon's far side—the farthest humans will have traveled from Earth—before returning to Earth. The flight follows Artemis 1, an uncrewed demonstration that launched Nov. 16, 2022.

Next Steps

Astronauts exited quarantine after the earlier launch opportunities were canceled and are expected to reenter quarantine about two weeks before the next selected launch date. NASA will continue diagnostic work on the SLS core stage, determine whether a rollback to the VAB is necessary, and announce an official launch date once mission managers confirm readiness.

Note: NASA has not set an official Artemis 2 launch date. The timeline depends on resolving the hydrogen leak, completing any required repairs or inspections, and meeting the next available lunar-aligned launch window.

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NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stands with the Artemis II crew during an SLS rollout press briefing.

Thecrew of ArtemisII (from left: Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Pilot Victor Glover and Commander Reid Wiseman) answer questions at a press conference as their Space Launch System rocket is transported to Pad 39B January 17, 2026. Artemis II is tentatively scheduled to launch on a mission to th Moon in early February. Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman answers questions during a press conference at Kennedy Space Center, FL January 17, 2026. The Artemis II crew is tentatively scheduled to launch in early February. Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover answers questions during a press conference at Kennedy Space Center, FL January 17, 2026. The Artemis II crew is tentatively scheduled to launch in early February. Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

Artemis II Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen answers questions during a press conference at Kennedy Space Center, FL January 17, 2026. The Artemis II crew is tentatively scheduled to launch in early February. Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

The Artemis II crew poses in front of an Orion simulator Jan. 23, 2026 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

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The crew of Artemis II (from left) Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman leave crew quarters December 20, 2025 during their pre-launch rehearsal. Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch talks with spectators as the crew leaves crew quarters December 20, 2025 during their pre-launch rehearsal. Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

The astronauts of Artemis II (from left) Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch leave crew quarters December 20, 2025 during their pre-launch rehearsal. Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

Artemis 2 crew members, shown Aug. 8, 2023 inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, walk toward their Orion crew module.