NASA postponed Artemis II’s launch schedule by at least two days after extreme cold weather in Florida disrupted critical pre-launch testing.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
NASA has delayed the Artemis II mission timeline by at least two days after unusually cold weather forecast for Florida forced the agency to halt key pre-launch activities, pushing the earliest possible launch date from Feb. 6 to Feb. 8.
The space agency said Jan. 30 that the extreme cold associated with a rare Arctic outbreak would prevent completion of the Artemis II wet dress rehearsal, a required milestone before launch. Artemis II will be the first crewed mission to fly around the Moon in more than 50 years.
“Managers have assessed hardware capabilities against the projected forecast, given the rare arctic outbreak affecting the state, and decided to change the timeline,” NASA said in a statement released in a press update.
NASA officials said launch teams remain ready at the pad, but adjusting the schedule is necessary to ensure a successful rehearsal. The agency noted that expected temperatures and winds this weekend would violate launch and fueling constraints.
Before the Space Launch System rocket can be cleared for flight, it must complete a wet dress rehearsal, a full simulation of launch-day procedures that includes fueling, powering systems on and off, and recycling the vehicle. The test is designed to expose potential issues, such as fuel leaks, before launch.
The wet dress rehearsal had been planned for Jan. 31. Mission managers determined a day earlier that temperatures would be too cold and are now targeting Feb. 2, with the simulated launch window opening at 9 p.m. ET.
NASA has ruled out launching Artemis II on Feb. 6 or Feb. 7, but officials said a final launch date will not be announced until teams complete and review the results of the rehearsal.
Under NASA’s weather criteria for the Space Launch System, fueling operations cannot begin if the 24-hour average temperature at critical points on the rocket falls below 41.1 degrees Fahrenheit.
The National Weather Service office in Melbourne, Florida, issued an extreme cold and freeze watch for Cape Canaveral and parts of Central Florida from Jan. 31 through Feb. 1. Forecasts called for temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit, wind chills near seven degrees, and wind gusts reaching 45 mph — conditions that would also violate launch limits.
NASA plans to keep the Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew capsule at Launch Complex 39B while engineers implement cold-weather protections. Those measures include keeping the Orion spacecraft powered and configuring purge systems to maintain appropriate environmental conditions for the boosters and spacecraft.
The Artemis II crew remains in pre-flight quarantine in Houston, and mission managers said they are still evaluating when the astronauts will travel to Kennedy Space Center ahead of the rescheduled launch window.
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