NASA won't be sending astronauts to the moon this month

NASA hasn't visited the moon since December 11, 1972. And its next trip to the celestial body is going to be delayed a bit longer.

The space agency has pushed the launch window for the Artemis 2 mission from February to March after discovering a hydrogen leak during a fueling test. NASA said in a statement that the "wet dress rehearsal countdown was terminated at the T-5:15 minute mark due to a liquid hydrogen leak at the interface of the tail service mast umbilical."

That's the interface where hydrogen flows into the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Because of that problem, the agency said it would now work toward a March window.

“With more than three years between SLS launches, we fully anticipated encountering challenges,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a social media post. “That is precisely why we conduct a wet dress rehearsal. These tests are designed to surface issues before flight and set up launch day with the highest probability of success.”

The issue could be a blessing in disguise for NASA. Artemis 2 was scheduled to launch as early as Feb 8 — this Sunday — had everything gone right with the tests. That would have scheduled the launch on the same day as the Super Bowl and also had it competing with the Olympics. In an increasingly budget-conscious (and ratings-driven) world, a trip around the moon eliciting a collective "meh" from Americans could jeopardize future funding.

The next possible launch window for Artemis 2 opens on March 6, with subsequent opportunities on March 7, 8, 9, and 11. The trip will see astronauts take a 10-day trip around the moon, taking them further from earth than any human has ever been.