NASA is so dead set on an April moon launch, it won't talk backup dates

NASA has cleared Artemis II for launch following a lengthy flight readiness review, mission managers said Thursday, as teams work toward a liftoff as early as April 1.

The new timeline follows the discovery of a helium-flow problem in the mega moon rocket's upper stage that required teams to roll the vehicle back to its enormous hangar for repairs. After swapping out seals and testing them, along with replacing some batteries, mission managers said they're ready to fly. 

So dead set is the space agency on launching next month that its managers have refused to provide launch windows beyond April 30. 

"I've said in the past that, yes, there are opportunities in other months," said Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for exploration systems development, on Thursday, "but right now, we are solely focused on April." 

The flight readiness review serves as the final, agency-level check of hardware, teams, and plans before the Space Launch System and Orion spaceship move back to the launch pad. "Polling go" means the agency is comfortable sending astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day flight around the moon, the first crewed deep space mission in more than 50 years.

Mission managers said they expect to roll the 322-foot stacked rocket back to its launchpad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, next week on March 19.

Engineers identified and fixed a blocked helium seal in a ground line. The problem caught teams by surprise after a near-perfect fueling test in late February. NASA tested a redesigned connector and installed the modified part on the upper stage. Teams also replaced flight-termination system batteries and tested abort system batteries for the crew module.

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NASA said it remains on track to attempt liftoff as early as April 1, with the launch window opening at 6:24 p.m. ET. Backup dates are available April 2 through 6. The crew will enter pre-launch quarantine on March 18 and travel to Kennedy Space Center in Florida about five days before the launch, as part of standard procedures to protect crew health and readiness.

During the news conference, NASA officials had a tense exchange with reporters regarding the probability of a mission failure or crew loss. When pressed for a single risk number, mission managers balked, offering rough historical comparisons. Test flights often face high uncertainty, said John Honeycutt, chairman of the Artemis II mission management team.

When asked about it again, NASA moderator Rachel Kraft declined to let the panel answer. 

"We've addressed the risk question several times," she said. "We have plenty more questions to get to."

From left, astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Jeremy Hansen will be the first crew to fly in deep space since Apollo 17 about half a century ago. Credit: NASA / Joel Kowsky

Work still remains in the Vehicle Assembly Building. Teams will complete checkouts, remove access platforms, and secure the hardware for moving back to the pad. 

NASA does not plan to have another wet dress rehearsal, a practice launch countdown with actual fuel, that would eat up time in the April launch window. Instead, the agency aims to fill the rocket on a day that could lead directly into a launch.

The flight readiness review, albeit a significant achievement for any mission, was just a "step along the way," Honeycutt said. 

"We're not going to celebrate 'til we get Reid and Victor and Christina and Jeremy safely home," he said.