After hydrogen leaks cut short the first attempt, NASA ran a full wet dress rehearsal on Feb. 19—loading the rocket, practicing the final countdown, and recycling the clock—then reported only minimal leakage at the most failure-prone interface.
Quick take
- What happened: NASA ended the Feb. 19 wet dress rehearsal at T-29 seconds after completing a planned recycle and reported minimal hydrogen leakage.
- Why it matters: NASA says it won’t set a launch date until it completes a successful rehearsal and reviews the data—this test is the gate for the first crewed lunar flight since 1972.
