BackSpace Exploration
NASA Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal Fueling Test
NASA conducted a wet dress rehearsal fueling test for the Artemis II SLS rocket at Kennedy Space Center, loading over 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellants ahead of a targeted lunar launch no earlier than February 8, 2026.
Why It Matters
This critical pre-launch test verifies fueling operations for the first crewed Artemis mission, which will send four astronauts on a lunar flyby, paving the way for sustained lunar exploration.
Timeline
11 Events
Countdown Terminated Early Due to Leak
February 2, 2026
Liquid hydrogen leak ended wet dress rehearsal early, delaying Artemis II launch to no earlier than March.
SLS Core Stage Fully Fueled
February 2, 2026, 2:56 p.m.
NASA completed core stage fueling with over 700,000 gallons of LH2 and LOX; small leak persisted but within limits; entered topping phase toward T-0 at 9 p.m. EST.
LH2 Loading Pauses for Leaks
February 2, 2026
Teams stopped LH2 loading twice due to leaks at TSMU interface but troubleshot and resumed.
SLS Core Stage Tanking Underway
February 2, 2026, 12:15 p.m. EST
Ground teams began filling SLS core stage with liquid hydrogen, followed by liquid oxygen at 12:25 p.m. EST.
Core Stage Powered Up
February 1, 2026, morning
Teams powered up the SLS core stage at Kennedy Space Center amid cold temperatures and winds.
Wet Dress Rehearsal Countdown Begins
January 31, 2026, approx. 8 p.m. ET
Launch teams took stations 49 hours before planned T-0, initiating countdown for fueling test.
Cold Weather Delays Wet Dress Rehearsal
January 30, 2026
Cold weather postponed tanking to February 2 and pushed earliest launch to no earlier than February 8.
NASA Announces Steps Closer to Fueling Test
January 26, 2026
NASA reported progress including booster servicing, Orion preparations, engine checkouts, and pressurization ahead of wet dress rehearsal.
Adapters Arrive at KSC
September 2024
Adapters for SLS and Orion integration arrived at Kennedy Space Center.
Launch Date Accelerated to February 2026
March 2025
Reports indicated potential acceleration of Artemis II launch to February 2026, later confirmed by NASA.
Core Stage Delivery to KSC
July 16, 2024
The fully outfitted SLS core stage was delivered to Kennedy Space Center from manufacturing.