NASA has begun another practice launch countdown for its first crewed moonshot in decades after making repairs to fix dangerous fuel leaks that have already pushed the Artemis II flight into March.
The first fuelling test was halted two weeks ago by liquid hydrogen leaks similar to those that disrupted the Artemis programme’s inaugural uncrewed flight three years ago.
Launch teams replaced a pair of seals and a clogged filter at the Kennedy Space Center pad where the giant rocket stands before restarting the countdown.
The two-day test is set to culminate on Thursday with an attempted fill-up of the rocket’s fuel tanks.
The four Artemis II astronauts are monitoring the crucial dress rehearsal from afar.
A successful, leak-free test is required before NASA sets a launch date.
The earliest the Space Launch System, or SLS, rocket could lift off is March 6.
The spacecraft is not equipped for a lunar landing, a NASA spokesperson confirmed, and the crew will instead journey around the far side of the moon.