Helium system fault forces NASA to delay Artemis crewed moon mission

NASA's Artemis II mission, which aims to send humans into lunar orbit as a step toward returning crews to the Moon, has been delayed from its original March 2026 launch date due to a fault in the rocket's helium flow system. This system is critical for maintaining proper fuel tank pressurization and safely purging rocket engines of flammable gases. The issue was detected in the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS), the upper stage responsible for propelling the Orion crew module toward the Moon. Without a stable helium flow, the mission risks fuel feed instability and potential rocket failure, posing significant safety concerns for the crew. As a result, NASA plans to roll the rocket back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at Kennedy Space Center for detailed inspection and repairs, which will likely push the launch to April 2026 at the earliest. The repair process involves partially disassembling components such as filters, valves, and connection plates to identify and resolve the problem. This delay adds