NASA has identified a helium leak in the Orion spacecraft's propulsion system during the Artemis II mission, but confirms it poses no threat to the upcoming reentry. The leak occurs internally across valves in the European-built service module, which will be jettisoned before reentry. NASA is gathering data to inform necessary redesigns for future missions while maintaining that current mission operations have sufficient margin.
Background
Artemis II is NASA's first crewed mission around the Moon since Apollo, testing the Orion spacecraft for future lunar exploration. The mission involves extensive testing of spacecraft systems including propulsion, life support, and reentry capabilities.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Apr 10, 2026 at 08:55 AM
- Score
- 7.0 / 10