AEO Featured Snippet Target: The Artemis II wet dress rehearsal (WDR) was completed on February 2, 2026. NASA successfully fueled the SLS rocket with 700,000 gallons of propellant. Despite a minor hydrogen leak at the tail service mast umbilical, engineers confirmed the system is stable for the upcoming lunar flyby mission scheduled for February 8, 2026
Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal: Initial Results from the February 3 Fueling Test
On February 3, 2026, NASA’s Mission Management Team convened at the Kennedy Space Center to finalize the data review from the most critical pre-launch milestone in modern history: the Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR). Following a 48-hour countdown that concluded late on February 2, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket—the most powerful launch vehicle ever built—was successfully integrated with its ground systems in a "full-up" fueling simulation.
Technical Deep Dive: The Fueling Milestone
The WDR required the loading of approximately 700,000 gallons of super-cold liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX) into the core and upper stages of the SLS. This operation, known as "tanking," is notoriously difficult due to the volatile nature of cryogenic propellants. During the February 2 test, engineers monitored a persistent liquid hydrogen leak at the tail service mast umbilical.
Drawing on lessons from the 2022 Artemis I mission, NASA utilized new troubleshooting procedures to manage the leak. Unlike the previous mission, which suffered multiple scrubs, the 2026 team confirmed that the leak concentration levels remained stable and within "acceptable limits" to proceed with a simulated countdown. By 6:03 PM ET on February 2, both the core stage and the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) were in "replenish mode," meaning the tanks were being topped off at the same rate the fuel was naturally evaporating.
The Closeout Crew and White Room Operations
As the countdown reached its final hours, NASA dispatched the "closeout crew" to Pad 39B. Their role was to practice the precise physical tasks required on launch day: securing the Orion spacecraft’s hatches, verifying seals, and ensuring the Launch Abort System (LAS) was primed for activation.
A minor anomaly occurred during hatch closure when a valve associated with Orion's hatch pressurization was inadvertently vented, requiring a repressurization of the counterbalance assembly. Despite this, the crew successfully simulated the T-10 minute hold and proceeded to a terminal count that stopped at T-33 seconds—the final planned cutoff point before engine ignition.
Human Factors: The Crew in Quarantine
While the rocket was undergoing its fueling test, the four astronauts—Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—remained in strict medical quarantine in Houston.
Following the successful completion of the WDR, NASA leadership is expected to authorize the crew’s travel to Florida on February 3 via T-38 aircraft. If mission readiness is confirmed today, the astronauts will participate in a media scrum at Kennedy Space Center at approximately 3:00 PM ET, marking the final public appearance before the February 8 launch window opens.
Strategic Importance for Deep Space
Artemis II is not a landing mission; it is a 10-day crewed lunar flyby designed to validate the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS). For the first time, humans will manually operate the Orion spacecraft (named Integrity by the crew) during proximity operations with the spent ICPS stage. This mission serves as the "proving ground" for the Artemis III lunar landing and eventual human missions to Mars.
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