NASA's Giant Moon Rocket Returns to Hangar for Repairs

NASA Moon rocket to return for repairs

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) – NASA's giant Moon rocket, grounded until at least April, will head back to the hangar this week for further repairs before astronauts can board.

The space agency said on Sunday that, subject to the weather, it is aiming for Tuesday for the slow 6.4-kilometre (4-mile) journey across Kennedy Space Center.

Helium fault delays Artemis II Moon mission

NASA had only just completed a repeat fuelling test on Thursday, intended to confirm that dangerous hydrogen fuel leaks had been sealed, when another fault emerged.

On this occasion, the rocket's helium system failed, causing another delay to astronauts' first journey to the Moon in more than half a century.

Engineers had resolved the hydrogen leaks and selected a March 6 launch date – already a month behind schedule – before the helium problem appeared.

Helium flow to the rocket's upper stage was interrupted. The gas is required to purge the engines and pressurise the fuel tanks.

"Returning to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy is required to determine the cause of the issue and fix it," NASA said in a statement.

NASA said the rapid rollback preparations keep an April launch attempt possible, but emphasised that this depends on the outcome of the repairs.

The agency has only a limited number of days each month in which it can launch the four-person crew around the Moon and back.

The three Americans and one Canadian chosen for the Artemis II mission remain on standby in Houston.

They will be the first people to fly to the Moon since NASA's Apollo programme, which sent 24 astronauts there between 1968 and 1972.