NASA is now targeting March for the earliest possible launch of its historic Artemis II lunar moon mission, which will send four astronauts into deep space for the first time since the Apollo program ended more than five decades ago.The decision came in the early hours of Tuesday after NASA said it had completed a wet dress rehearsal, a crucial test of the towering rocket system that will launch the astronauts on an unprecedented path around the moon. The mission had been expected to lift off as soon as February 8.NASA said it encountered several problems during the test after cold weather caused a late start, including running into issues with hydrogen leaks while filling up Artemis II’s Space Launch System rocket with propellant. The delay would allow teams to review data and conduct a second launch rehearsal, the agency said in a blog post.AdvertisementAdvertisement“With more than three years between SLS launches, we fully anticipated encountering challenges,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman added in a tweet.“That is precisely why we conduct a wet dress rehearsal. These tests are designed to surface issues before flight and set up launch day with the highest probability of success,” he added.NASA leaders will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday to discuss the initial results from the rehearsal.When cleared to fly, Artemis II will send a group of four astronauts — NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch as well as the Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen — on a 10-day journey beyond the far side of the moon. The mission could set a new record for the farthest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe astronauts will now be released from quarantine, which they entered in Houston on January 21, and not travel to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida Tuesday as tentatively planned.NASA said the crew w …
