Updated On: 23 February, 2026 09:27 AM IST | Washington | ANI
NASA has decided to roll back the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Artemis II to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center after detecting a helium flow issue in the upper stage. The move delays the March 6 crewed Moon flyby, though the April launch window may still be preserved

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NASA will roll back the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft for Artemis II off the launch pad, delaying the most-awaited crewed flyby mission to the Moon. This comes after NASA encountered an issue with the flow of helium to the rocket's upper stage, the space agency said in a statement.
"On February 21, managers decided to remove recently installed platforms before high winds descended on the Space Coast, which poised teams for rollback while discussions about the issue were ongoing. Returning to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Centre in Florida is required to determine the cause of the issue and fix it," NASA said