A rare and punishing arctic outbreak sweeping through the Sunshine State has forced NASA to hit the brakes on its final major hurdle before returning humans to lunar orbit. On Friday, the space agency announced that abnormally cold temperatures and high winds have delayed a critical "wet dress rehearsal" for the Artemis II mission, subsequently pushing the earliest possible launch date to February 8.
A full Moon is seen shining over NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) and Orion spacecraft, atop the mobile launcher in the early hours of February 1, 2026. The rocket is currently at Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as teams are preparing for a wet dress rehearsal to practice timelines and procedures for the launch of Artemis II. NASA/Sam Lott
The high-stakes test—which involves pumping more than 730,000 gallons of super-cooled liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into the 322-foot-tall Space Launch System (SLS) rocket—was originally slated for this weekend. However, the icy conditions posed a risk to sensitive hardware, as NASA guidelines prohibit fueling if average temperatures drop below 41.4°F. To safeguard the multi-billion dollar vehicle, engineers have kept the Orion spacecraft powered on with its internal heaters configured to combat the chill while they wait for the "arctic snap" to break.
The tanking operation is now scheduled to begin on Monday, Feb. 2, assuming weather conditions improve. This delay has significantly narrowed the launch window for February, leaving NASA with only three viable dates—February 8, 10, or 11—to send the first crewed mission toward the Moon in over 50 years. NASA officials have warned that any further slips in the 49-hour countdown to the rehearsal will result in a "day-for-day" delay of the actual liftoff.
This scheduling shuffle has created a complex "orbital dance" with SpaceX’s upcoming Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station. While Crew-12 was originally eyeing an accelerated launch as early as February 11 to bolster ISS staffing, NASA has made it clear that Artemis II is the priority. If the Moon mission launches on February 8, the Crew-12 flight—carrying astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot, and Andrey Fedyaev—will be deferred until at least February 19 to avoid taxing shared resources, such as the Department of Defense's emergency recovery assets and the astronaut suit-up facilities at Kennedy Space Center.
Despite the frigid setback, the mood remains one of cautious optimism. From their pre-launch quarantine in Houston, the Crew-12 team expressed excitement about the potential for a historic orbital crossover. Commander Jessica Meir noted that if both crews happen to be in space simultaneously, she looks forward to connecting with the Artemis II crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—as they make their historic trek around the far side of the Moon.
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