NASA just rolled its Artemis rocket back to the hangar, and the moon mission is on hold

NASA is rolling its Artemis rocket back into the hangar for repairs, putting the Artemis II moon mission on hold and taking a March launch off the table. The move delays the first crewed flight of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule on a mission around the moon.

The change was reported by NBC News after engineers found a blockage affecting helium flow to a key part of the booster’s upper stage. NASA officials said the issue requires investigation and repair, prompting the decision to roll the rocket back indoors.

The Artemis II crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. NASA is now looking at possible launch windows in April, depending on how quickly the repairs and testing can be completed.

The rollback shows how quickly one issue can reshape the timeline

The Space Launch System rocket, 322 feet tall, has been at Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center since mid-January. Engineers identified the helium flow issue after the rocket had been positioned for launch preparations.

The rollback began Wednesday at about 9:00 AM ET, moving the 11-million-pound rocket and the Orion capsule roughly four miles to the Vehicle Assembly Building. The move comes amid Trump tariff chaos. The rocket is transported on a crawler-transporter at about 1 mile per hour, with the trip expected to take up to 12 hours.

Once inside the building, teams plan to install work platforms to access the area where the helium issue was detected. In addition to addressing the blockage, teams will replace and test batteries in the upper stage and the flight termination system.

The helium problem was discovered in the overnight hours of February 19 following a wet dress rehearsal, a launch-day walkthrough that included loading more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellant. NBC News reported this was NASA’s second attempt at fully fueling the rocket and running through nearly all steps of a simulated countdown.

Artemis II has faced other recent hurdles during testing. A wet dress rehearsal on February 2 ended early because of hydrogen leaks near the base of the rocket, which led NASA to drop all February launch opportunities.

The Artemis program has also encountered similar issues in the past. The uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022 was delayed about six months after hydrogen leaks were found during a wet dress rehearsal.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said on X that the news was disappointing and that the team at NASA has been working to prepare for the mission. Other White House attention has included the women’s hockey team invite. NASA officials said the April launch opportunities remain dependent on completing the repairs and required checks following the rollback.