Artemis 2 may launch as early as March 6 after successful fuel test

NASA completed a second wet dress rehearsal for Artemis 2 on Feb. 19, with fuel tanks filled and hydrogen levels reported within allowable limits; the four-person crew entered quarantine on Feb. 20 and the mission is on track for a possible March 6 launch.

NASA ran a second wet dress rehearsal of the Artemis 2 Space Launch System at Kennedy Space Center on Feb. 19. The test filled the rocket's tanks with over 2.6 million litres of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen and exercised launch procedures up to the point before engine ignition. A previous attempt on Feb. 2 was halted after engineers found hydrogen leaking above safety limits. With the latest results, the four-person crew entered quarantine late on Feb. 20 as the mission is being prepared for an early March window. Key details: - The rehearsal began at 3 a.m. EST and concluded at 10:16 p.m. EST on Feb. 19. - Ground teams filled the vehicle with more than 2.6 million litres of propellants during the test. - Teams again experienced a loss of some ground communications during the rehearsal. - Engineers reported hydrogen gas concentrations remained under allowable limits after new seals were installed. - The Artemis 2 crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—entered quarantine on Feb. 20. Summary: The successful wet dress rehearsal reduced near-term concerns about hydrogen leakage and kept the mission aligned with an early March launch window. Crew quarantine is underway and engineers will continue evaluating test data as the program finalizes preflight steps. No official launch date has been announced.