NASA is fueling its new moon rocket in one final make-or-break test before sending astronauts on a lunar fly-around.
The launch team began loading the 322-foot rocket with super-cold hydrogen and oxygen at Kennedy Space Center late at midday. More than 700,000 gallons had to flow into the tanks and remain on board for several hours, mimicking the final stages of an actual countdown.
The only thing missing from the critical dress rehearsal was the crew. The three Americans and one Canadian monitored the action from nearly 1,000 miles away in Houston, home to Johnson Space Center. They have been in quarantine for the past 1½ weeks, awaiting the practice countdown's outcome. The all-day operation will determine when they can blast off on the first lunar voyage by a crew in more than half a century. Running two days behind because of a bitter cold snap, NASA set its countdown clocks to stop a half-minute before reaching zero, just before engine ignition. The clocks began ticking Saturday night, giving launch controllers the chance to go through all the motions and deal with any lingering problems with the Space Launch System rocket. Hydrogen leaks kept the first SLS rocket on the pad for months in 2022. Launch managers said they're confident the issues are behind them. If the fueling demo goes well, NASA could launch commander Reid Wiseman and his crew to the moon as soon as Sunday. The rocket must be flying by Feb. 11 or the mission will be called off until March. The space agency only has a few days in any given month to launch the rocket, and the extreme cold already has shortened February’s launch window by two days. The nearly 10-day mission will send the astronauts past the moon, around the mysterious far side and then straight back to Earth, with the goal of testing the capsule's life support and other vital systems. The crew will not go into lunar orbit or attempt to land. NASA last sent astronauts to the moon during the 1960s and 1970s Apollo program. The new Artemis program aims for a more sustained lunar presence, with Wiseman’s crew setting the stage for future moon landings by other astronauts.The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Spurs’ Mitch Johnson lands NBA Western Conference All-Star coaching jobApplication portal for Texas Education Freedom Accounts opens Feb. 4Neighbors concerned about ICE potentially buying warehouse5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, father released from Texas immigration detention centerProtesters call for release of children detained at detention centersHundreds protest in downtown San Antonio as part of nationwide day of action against ICERemember to protect your pets and plants during cold weather temps this weekendSights and Sounds: Hundreds protest against ICE in downtown San AntonioSan Antonio’s all-female Paintball Ladies aims to foster empowerment, communitySan Antonio’s free Cowboy Breakfast returns to Frost Bank Center0:58Culinary students, instructors & volunteers prep for Cowboy BreakfastCybersecurity expert warn of rising ghost tapping scam targeting credit cards, digital walletsFlight aborts takeoff, avoids collision after private plane entered runway at San Antonio airportKSAT's Erica Hernandez describes moment law enforcement deployed tear gas on protestersKSAT's Erica Hernandez captures crowd of protesters as they headed toward Dilley detention facilityKSAT's Erica Hernandez captures crowd of protesters as they headed toward Dilley detention facilityTensions rise between protesters and law enforcement at Dilley immigration facilityVITA San Antonio offers free tax preparation for residents earning $65,000 or less▶Immigration attorney says ongoing lockdown at detention facility in DilleyProtesters gather in Dilley to march to immigration detention centerUT San Antonio reopens Institute of Texan Cultures at Frost TowerProperty owner battles CPS Energy over power pole dispute: ‘Where are our rights as landowners?’East Side group receives $250,000 grant to prevent youth crime through community engagementSan Antonio councilwoman gets probation, lower charge in DWI case plea deal
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