Blog #62 What Happened to Artemis II?

NASA’s plan to return to the moon and build a Lunar Space Station faces ongoing challenges, particularly with Artemis II. While Artemis I, the uncrewed test, succeeded in late 2022, Artemis II, a crewed lunar mission, has been repeatedly delayed. Most recently, the mission was rescheduled from February 2025 to April 2026 after wet-dress-rehearsal tanking tests revealed multiple recurring LH2 (liquid hydrogen) leaks.

These persistent technical issues highlight the central obstacle to completing NASA’s lunar ambitions.

The Artemis 1 SLS had hydrogen leaks in the same location during its wet dress rehearsal three years earlier. Similarly, in 2025, a Falcon 9 droneship (SpaceX) experienced a fuel leak that caused the Booster to topple after landing. The Space Shuttle (1981-2011) also faced hydrogen leaks, leading to delays and repairs.

Image: Generated via Google’s Nano Banana

Meanwhile, Elon Musk of SpaceX shifted his immediate goal from Mars to building a “self-growing city” on the Moon. He cannot do this alone and must work with the US and NASA, which are the best places to achieve his aims. Politics, however, affects decisions that do not always favor humanity’s future. Frustrated, Musk now focuses on lunar development as the quickest way to get off Earth in today’s political climate.

All living creatures need to spread out. Though methods and timelines vary, there are good reasons for dispersal: biodiversity, nutrient recycling, and healthy populations.⁹ Dispersal is a universal movement—even if humans dislike it, as with invasive species.

This struggle to leave Earth matters because our planet could change or be destroyed, threatening life. Humans must lead; other species cannot leave alone, though they might hitch a ride. Humans will have to be responsible for giving them that ride.

NASA faces big challenges. Building a space station or self-growing city is a huge leap, as the Moon and Mars differ ecologically from Earth. Each step toward these goals brings valuable new knowledge and inventions for life on Earth, raising the quality of life to a new level.

The delays affecting Artemis II illustrate a broader challenge: humanity’s push to leave Earth is complicated by persistent technical and political obstacles. Despite setbacks, I remain convinced humans will reach the Moon and eventually Mars if these hurdles are overcome methodically. Criticism of SpaceX’s exploding rockets misses the point—finding limits is part of progress. Although the path may be expensive and fraught with trial and error, learning from failures is how advances are achieved. Ultimately, the success of these lunar and Martian ventures depends on our ability to address these recurring challenges efficiently and equitably, benefitting life on and beyond Earth.