NASA prepares Artemis II rocket for rollback after upper stage issue

Written by Copernical Team Tuesday, 24 February 2026 07:42

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New York (SDX) Feb 23, 2026

Weather permitting, NASA plans to move the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Artemis II off Launch Pad 39B at the agency Kennedy Space Center in Florida as soon as Tuesday, Feb 24. The integrated stack will travel back to the Vehicle Assembly Building so teams can investigate and correct an issue with helium flow to the rocket upper stage. Engineers began preparing for th

by Silas Korrin
New York (SDX) Feb 23, 2026

Weather permitting, NASA plans to move the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Artemis II off Launch Pad 39B at the agency Kennedy Space Center in Florida as soon as Tuesday, Feb 24. The integrated stack will travel back to the Vehicle Assembly Building so teams can investigate and correct an issue with helium flow to the rocket upper stage.

Engineers began preparing for the rollback after identifying the helium flow problem during launch processing. On Feb 21, managers directed teams to remove recently installed work platforms before high winds were forecast for the Space Coast, putting the vehicle in a configuration ready to roll while technical discussions continued.

Returning the Artemis II stack to the Vehicle Assembly Building is necessary to gain full access to the upper stage hardware. Inside the facility, engineers will conduct detailed inspections, determine the root cause of the helium flow issue, and carry out any required repairs or component replacements.

Program managers are assessing the precise timing to start the approximately four mile trip from the pad back to the Vehicle Assembly Building. The move is expected to take several hours as the mobile launcher carrying the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft slowly makes its way along the crawlerway.

NASA notes that the rapid decision to configure the vehicle for rollback helps keep options open for launching Artemis II during the April window. Preserving that opportunity will depend on what engineers learn from data reviews, how complex the repairs prove to be, and how the revised processing schedule comes together in the next several days and weeks.

The four person Artemis II crew has been released from launch quarantine and remains in Houston while work proceeds in Florida. NASA states that this adjustment to the processing flow is part of the agency test flight approach for Artemis II, which will send astronauts around the Moon and back to Earth.

NASA plans to hold a media event in the coming days to outline the rollback activities and provide an update on preparations for the Artemis II mission. During that briefing, officials are expected to discuss the troubleshooting plan for the upper stage helium system and any implications for the flight test schedule.