March launch in jeopardy as Nasa’s Moon rocket hit by new problem

Nasa’s new Moon rocket has suffered another setback, putting next month’s planned launch with astronauts in jeopardy, the space agency announced.

The space agency revealed the latest problem just one day after targeting March 6 for humanity’s first flight to the Moon in more than half a century.

Overnight, the flow of helium to the rocket’s upper stage was interrupted, they noted. Solid helium flow is required for launch.

This helium issue has nothing to do with the hydrogen fuel leaks that marred a countdown dress rehearsal of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket earlier this month and forced a repeat test.

Nasa said it is reviewing the data and preparing, if necessary, to return the 322-ft rocket to the hangar for repairs at Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre.

It is possible the work could be done at the launch pad, and the space agency said engineers are preparing for both options.

“This will almost assuredly impact the March launch window,” Nasa said in a statement.

Hydrogen fuel leaks had already delayed the Artemis II lunar fly-around by a month.

A second fuelling test on Thursday revealed hardly any leaks, giving managers the confidence to aim for a March 6 lift-off.

The four astronauts went into their two-week quarantine on Friday night, mandatory for avoiding germs.

The interrupted helium flow is confined to the SLS rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage.

This upper stage is essential for placing the Orion crew capsule into the proper high-altitude orbit around Earth for checkout, following lift-off.

During Nasa’s Apollo programme, 24 astronauts flew to the Moon from 1968 through 1972. The new Artemis programme has completed only one flight so far, a lunar-orbiting mission without a crew in 2022.

That first test flight was also plagued by hydrogen fuel leaks before blasting off. The first Moon landing with a crew under Artemis is still at least a few years away.