NASA Moon Rocket Fueling Halted Due to Leak

NASA ran into a problem while fueling its new moon rocket on Monday, February 2, 2026. This test is considered a “make-or-break” check because it will help decide when astronauts can safely launch on a mission to orbit the Moon.

The team at Kennedy Space Center in Florida began filling the 98-meter rocket with super-cold hydrogen and oxygen around midday. In total, more than 2.6 million litres of fuel had to flow into the rocket’s tanks and stay there for several hours. This process is designed to copy the final stages of a real launch countdown, testing the rocket’s ability to hold fuel under extreme conditions.

However, during the fueling process, NASA detected a leak in the system, which forced the team to stop the operation. Engineers are now investigating the issue and planning repairs before attempting the test again.

This fueling test is very important because it ensures that the rocket and all its systems are working correctly before astronauts board for the lunar mission. Any problem detected now can be fixed safely on the ground, preventing issues during the actual launch.

Once the leak is repaired and the fueling test is successful, NASA will move closer to scheduling the first crewed lunar fly-around in decades, marking a major step forward in human space exploration.