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Artemis II Moon Rocket Refueled in Practice Countdown Setting Stage for Historic Flight
- During Thursday's wet dress rehearsal, engineers started slow filling the Space Launch System rocket’s core stage, marking the official start of propellant loading at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
- After the initial Feb. 2 rehearsal discovered a liquid hydrogen leak, NASA engineers replaced two rocket seals and swapped a clogged ground support filter following a Feb. 12 partial fueling test.
- Ground controllers monitored temperature and leak indicators while transitioning from slow-fill to fast-fill of more than 700,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen at −423°F and liquid oxygen at −297°F.
- By early afternoon, NASA reported no new leaks as of 1 p.m. ET and teams reached a replenish milestone without exceeding the safety limit observed in first rehearsal; March 6, 2026 remains the earliest launch target.
- Successful fueling would bolster efforts toward Artemis II's 10-day lunar flyby, which will take the Orion capsule about 4,700 miles beyond the moon, setting the stage for Artemis 3.
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources20
Leaning Left3Leaning Right0Center9Last UpdatedBias Distribution75% Center
Bias Distribution
- 75% of the sources are Center
75% Center
L 25%
C 75%
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