An unannounced test of NASA's toweringSpaceLaunch System rocket uncovered another issue with the vehicle meant to soon launch astronauts ona mission around the moon.
Ground crews at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida partially fueled the 322-foot rocket with liquid hydrogen on Feb. 13 to see if recent repairs to the spacecraft had remedied hydrogen leaksdiscovered during a prelaunch testearlier in the month.
Unexpectedly, though, operators stumbled across an issue with ground support equipment that could cause more headaches for a crucial moon mission that has alreadyslipped at least a month from its target launch date. The mission, known as Artemis 2, is due to send three Americans and one Canadian on a 10-day trip circling the moon.
The first human moon mission in more than 50 years, Artemis 2 will also be the debut crewed launch under NASA's multibillion-dollar program to eventually return astronauts to the lunar surface.
The crew of Artemis II (from left: Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Pilot Victor Glover and Commander Reid Wiseman) answer questions at a press conference as their Space Launch System rocket is transported to Pad 39B January 17, 2026. Artemis II is tentatively scheduled to launch on a mission to th Moon in early February. Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
NASA's Artemis 2 mission to fly 4 astronauts around moon. Photos of crew
Here's the latest on the Artemis 2 rocket launch since the mission was postponed from February to at least March.
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When is the Artemis launch date? Moon mission delayed until March
Originally slated for liftoff in February, NASA officials have delayed the Artemis 2 moon launch to March from the Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral, Florida. Under NASA's current timeline, the earliest the mission could get off the ground is March 6.
NASA, though, has not yet announced an official launch date.
Why did NASA delay Artemis 2 mission? Hydrogen leak in SLS
The mission slipped at least a month after NASAconducted a critical fueling testat the beginning of February known as a wet dress rehearsal that uncovered issues with the massive322-foot Space Launch System rocket.
NASA's elaborate launch day rehearsal, intended for ground teams to assess whether the SLS was ready for takeoff, ended with the discovery of a hydrogen leak within the rocket's 212-footcore stage. The issue arose while fueling the vehicle with 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellant that were later drained.
The rocket, which has been vertical on the launch pad since mid-January, has not yet needed to be rolled back to the agency's massiveVehicle Assembly Buildingwhere spacecraft are prepared for launch.
NASA engineers work on Space Launch System rocket
Committing to a new launch datewon't happen until NASA conducts another wet dress rehearsal and completes a prelaunch analysis known as a flight readiness review.
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Since the first prelaunch countdown test, ground teams have worked on the SLS rocket, replacing seals where operators "saw higher than allowable hydrogen gas concentrations" and evaluating the cause of the leak,NASA said.
NASA also conducted an unscheduled "confidence test" Thursday, Feb. 12, in which the rocket's core stage liquid hydrogen tank was "partially filled" to assess the area where the seals were replaced, NASA said in its latest missionblog post.
That test also uncovered an issue – this one with ground support equipment that "reduced the flow of liquid hydrogen into the rocket," NASA said. Engineers were expected to purge the rocket of liquid propellants during the weekend and continue inspecting ground equipment before replacing a filter suspected to be the cause of the problem.
A second wet dress rehearsal has not yet been scheduled.
Who will be on the Artemis 2 mission? Astronauts leave quarantine
The crew of Artemis II (from left: Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Pilot Victor Glover and Commander Reid Wiseman) answer questions at a press conference as their Space Launch System rocket is transported to Pad 39B January 17, 2026. Artemis II is tentatively scheduled to launch on a mission to th Moon in early February. Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> NASA's Artemis 2 mission to fly 4 astronauts around moon. Photos of crew
Thecrewof Artemis 2 includes three Americans and one Canadian. NASA astronautsReid Wiseman,Victor GloverandChristina Koch, as well as the Canadian Space Agency'sJeremy Hansen,had entered quarantineJan. 21 at the Johnson Space Center in Houston to avoid exposure to illnesses ahead of the launch.
Delaying the mission until March meansthe astronauts have exited quarantineat the Johnson Space Center in Houston, which is protocol ahead of spaceflights to ensure crews avoid exposure to illnesses. They will re-enter quarantine about two weeks ahead of the next launch opportunity before flying to the Kennedy Space Center.
What is the Artemis mission?
NASA'sArtemis programis the agency's ambitious campaign to return Americans to the surface of the moon for thefirst time since the Apollo era came to an end in 1972.
The Artemis 2 astronauts won't be landing, but will instead circle the moon on a 10-day trip to test systems and hardware for future expeditions to the surface. The Orion capsule the crew will pilot – built by Lockheed Martin – is due to travel about 4,700 miles beyond the far side of the moon, taking its passengers the farthest humans have ever ventured in space before returning to Earth.
The mission would come more than three years after Artemis 1 launched Nov. 16, 2022, from the Kennedy Space Center, sending the Orion capsule on a moon-orbiting mission without a crew in the first test of the vehicle.
A moon landing would take place during Artemis 3, which PresidentDonald Trumphas signaled he wants to see happen before the end of his second term.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Will Artemis launch date be pushed again with new issue? What NASA says
