NASA Conducts Second Rehearsal of Artemis 2 Lunar Launch
20 Feb 2026 9:18 AM IST20 Feb 2026 9:18 AM IST
Technical problems in early February cut short an initial so-called wet dress rehearsal
The full Moon is seen behind NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, standing atop a mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Photo: NASA)
Washington: NASA on Thursday was conducting a new rehearsal of the launch of its massive SLS rocket, which will send astronauts around the Moon for the first time in over 50 years as part of the Artemis 2 mission.
Technical problems in early February cut short an initial so-called wet dress rehearsal.
The setback, which included a liquid hydrogen leak, dashed hopes of a lift-off this month, pushing the earliest possible launch date back to March 6.
If Thursday's tests are successful, NASA will then set a firm date for the mission.
The wet dress rehearsal is conducted under real conditions -- with full rocket tanks and technical checks -- at Cape Canaveral in Florida, with engineers practicing the maneuvers needed to carry out an actual launch.
The Artemis 2 mission will be the first crewed mission to fly past the Moon in more than 50 years, with three Americans and one Canadian taking part.
( Source : AFP )
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