KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — NASA will provide an update on Thursday regarding the next steps for the Artemis II mission, which is scheduled to carry astronauts around the moon.
The update follows recent technical repairs to the rocket and its systems.
The Artemis II flight is intended to lay the groundwork for future moon landings involving astronauts.
The mission represents the next phase of the agency’s lunar exploration program and is the first to carry a crew toward the moon.
The mission has faced several technical setbacks during its testing phases.
A liquid hydrogen leak during the first wet dress rehearsal prevented an early flight test.
A second rehearsal conducted in February revealed an interruption in the helium flow within the rocket’s upper stage.
These issues required a four-mile transport of the vehicle back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for necessary repairs.
Engineers are currently troubleshooting additional technical concerns, including audio dropouts and a valve located in the crew module.
Safety remains the agency’s primary focus as it prepares for the crewed flight.
A new report has recently raised concerns about the protocols for rescuing astronauts stranded on the moon.
NASA officials aim to move the rocket back to the launch pad later this month.
A potential launch is currently targeted for April.
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