NASA’s ambitious plan to return astronauts to the moon faces another setback as its giant moon rocket heads back to the hangar for repairs. The rocket, intended for the Artemis II mission, encountered a helium system malfunction after overcoming hydrogen fuel leaks.
A slow, cautious trek across the Kennedy Space Center is scheduled for Tuesday, allowing engineers to investigate and resolve the issue. This delay pushes back the anticipated mission, which aims to fly the first crew around the moon since the Apollo days.
Despite a brief period of optimism with a March 6 launch date, NASA officials are now focused on maintaining the option for an April attempt. The mission, including three American and one Canadian astronauts, awaits further developments from their base in Houston.
(With inputs from agencies.)