The US space agency has had to postpone the launch of the new Artemis I Moon rocket for the second time in a week.
Controllers were unable to stop a hydrogen leak in the vehicle almost from the start of Saturday’s counting procedure. NASA now has another option to launch the rocket on Monday or Tuesday.
After that the vehicle will have to return to its assembly building for inspection and maintenance, which means further delays.
The Space Launch System is the most powerful rocket ever developed by NASA, and most of its thrust comes from burning nearly three million liters of supercooled liquid hydrogen and oxygen in four massive engines at the bottom of the the vehicle.
When controllers sent the command early in the morning to fill the rocket’s hydrogen tank, an alarm went off, indicating a leak.
