CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – After repairs, NASA on Tuesday began another practice launch countdown for its first lunar photo shoot with astronauts in decades. dangerous fuel leak Flights have already been postponed to March.

of First refueling test The Artemis program was shut down two weeks ago due to the same type of liquid hydrogen leak that halted it. first flight Three years ago, no one was riding it.

The launch controller has arrived at the console. @NASAKennedy We begin Artemis II’s second wet dress rehearsal.

The tank portion of the test will be livestreamed to our YouTube channel on February 19th. Check our blog for timely updates. https://t.co/40PMWktQjO pic.twitter.com/0WeZ8uNqgj

— NASA (@NASA) February 18, 2026

The launch team replaced a pair of seals and a clogged filter at the Kennedy Space Center pad. A huge moon rocket standsset the clock back before starting the countdown.

The two-day test will culminate on Thursday with an attempt to fill up the rocket’s fuel tank.

The four Artemis II astronauts will observe the important rehearsal from a distance.

The astronauts will travel back in time during the 10-day mission. montha trip around the mysterious backside to test the capsule’s life support and other critical systems, before quickly returning to Earth.

Leak-free tests must be successful before NASA sets a launch date.

The earliest a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket could be launched is March 6.

Officials had considered moving it up three days, but said they needed extra time to analyze the results of the refueling tests.

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The last time astronauts flew to the moon was in 1972 during NASA’s Apollo program.

The Artemis mission is aimed at a new territory: the lunar south pole, and aims to keep crews on the moon’s surface for longer periods of time.