NASA has delayed the launch of its Artemis II mission, scheduled for this weekend, to March after detecting leaks in a fuel tank and a valve used for the Orion crew capsule's pressure system. Because of both issues, the four Artemis II crew members have been released from quarantine in Houston, Texas, meaning the mission will be delayed by several weeks.
The crew consists of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. If Artemis II goes well, Artemis 3 will return humans to the lunar surface, and it will also be the first time women have set foot on its surface.
Artemis II will take 10 days, making it the farthest journey from Earth ever made by humans. The mission will see if the Orion capsule can safely carry a crew around the moon. It also carries historical artifacts such as part of the wing canvas of the first Wright Flyer 1 airplane.
SpaceX's delay in developing the Spaceship has meant that Artemis 3 will only be launched after 2027. Frustrated by SpaceX's failure, NASA has opened a tender for a secondary lunar landing system from a consortium consisting of Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Draper.
