Artemis II: NASA targets Feb. 19 for second moon mission fueling rehearsal

ORLANDO, Fla. – NASA is preparing for a critical fueling test this week as it moves closer to launching its Artemis II mission around the moon. 

The agency has set Thursday, Feb. 19, as the target for a second wet dress rehearsal of its deep space rocket.

What we know:

NASA plans to conduct the second wet dress rehearsal for Artemis II at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The nearly 50-hour countdown will begin at 6:40 p.m. EST on Feb. 17, leading to a simulated launch window opening at 8:30 p.m. Feb. 19.

The rehearsal will include loading super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the Space Launch System rocket, running a full countdown, practicing a recycled countdown clock and draining the tanks. Teams also will simulate scrub scenarios.

fILE – This image shows NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) and Orion spacecraft rolling out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. NASA’s massive crawler-transporter, upgraded for the Artemis program, carries the powerful SLS

Over the weekend, engineers replaced a filter in ground support equipment suspected of restricting the flow of liquid hydrogen during a partial fueling test on Feb. 12. Officials said enough data was gathered during that earlier test to proceed with another full rehearsal.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX LOCAL APP

Although the Artemis II astronauts will not participate, ground teams will practice Orion spacecraft closeout procedures, including hatch operations.

What we don’t know:

NASA has not set an official launch date for Artemis II. Agency managers say a formal date will come only after the wet dress rehearsal is successfully completed, and data reviews are finalized.

While March 6 is currently identified as the earliest possible launch opportunity, that date depends on a successful test, adequate time for analysis and preparing the rocket and launch pad for flight.

It also remains unclear whether additional technical issues could emerge during fueling, particularly after the earlier hydrogen flow concern.

Timeline:

The countdown for the second wet dress rehearsal begins on Feb. 17. During the rehearsal, launch controllers will conduct two practice runs of the final 10 minutes of countdown, known as terminal count.

Operators will pause at T-minus 1 minute, 30 seconds, resume to T-minus 33 seconds, recycle the clock to T-minus 10 minutes and then conduct a second terminal count to just inside T-minus 30 seconds before ending the simulation.

If all goes well, the earliest launch opportunity would be March 6.

Big picture view:

Artemis II is the first crewed test flight of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since the Apollo era and lay groundwork for future missions to Mars.

SIGN-UP FOR FOX 35’S BREAKING NEWS, DAILY NEWS NEWSLETTERS

The wet dress rehearsal is one of the final major milestones before flight, designed to simulate real-world launch conditions, including the possibility of weather or technical scrubs. The test allows engineers and launch teams to identify and fix issues before astronauts are aboard.

What they’re saying:

NASA said teams replaced a filter that was “suspected of reducing the flow of liquid hydrogen” during the earlier fueling attempt and have “reconnected the line with the new filter and are reestablishing proper environmental conditions.”

The agency said managers have determined “March 6 is the earliest opportunity for launch” that allows time for a second wet dress rehearsal, data review and transition to launch operations.

NASA also said it will provide live coverage of the rehearsal, including a separate camera feed during fueling, and continue updates through its Artemis blog.