NASA delays crew mission to Moon due to rocket issue

NASA has delayed the first crewed lunar mission since 1972 after technical problems forced the US space agency to push back the launch of Artemis 2 by several weeks.

NASA said in a statement on Saturday that an issue with the helium supply in one of the rocket stages needs to be addressed. This will delay the recently announced tentative launch date of March 6 to at least early April.

Repair work will require moving the rocket and the Orion capsule from the Kennedy Space Center launch pad in the US state of Florida back to the hangar, making the original plans unattainable.

The mission had initially been scheduled for early February, but was postponed due to hydrogen leaks during testing. After a subsequent full rehearsal of the launch sequence, excluding lift-off, NASA described progress as significant on Friday.

Further launch windows are expected later this year, including in early April.

In a recent statement, NASA struck a cautious tone, stressing that repairs and evaluations must first be completed. Depending on progress, the agency said it could "potentially preserve the April launch window."

Artemis 2 is set to carry four crew - US astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman as well as Canadian Jeremy Hansen.

Their around 10-day mission does not include a lunar landing but will but will fly a loop around the far side of the Moon and return to Earth.

The last US astronauts to reach the Moon did so in 1972, during the Apollo programme.