NASA Sets March 6 As Earliest Date To Send Astronauts Around The Moon

WASHINGTON, Feb 21 (Bernama-dpa) -- NASA voiced renewed optimism on Friday after a second ground test for its mission to send a crew around the Moon as soon as next month showed significant progress after earlier technical problems, German Press Agency (dpa) reported.

NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said on X that the second so-called wet dress rehearsal — a full launch countdown simulation without lift-off — marked "a big step toward America's return to the lunar environment."

Lori Glaze, a NASA manager, said repairs to issues encountered during earlier testing had proven effective. Nearly all procedures were completed as planned and within the expected timeframe, she said, though some issues still need to be addressed.

The earliest possible launch date is now set for March 6, the US space agency said. The crew is expected to enter quarantine on Friday.

The Artemis 2 mission is set to send astronauts into the vicinity of the Moon for the first time in more than half a century. 

US astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Reid Wiseman, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, are scheduled to fly around the Moon during the roughly 10-day mission.

NASA had previously targeted no earlier than February 6 for launch. 

But during the first full rehearsal at the Cape Canaveral spaceport in early February, hydrogen leaks were detected, prompting the replacement of seals. A subsequent smaller test still encountered problems with hydrogen fuelling, leading engineers to replace a filter system.

-- BERNAMA-dpa