NASA has been forced to postpone its first manned mission to the moon in more than 50 years due to unseasonably cold weather in Florida.
NASA says a “rare Arctic outbreak” at the launch site means the Artemis 2 mission’s schedule must be pushed back.
The launch of the Artemis program, the first manned lunar landing, is scheduled for no earlier than February 8, two days later than originally planned.
NASA was scheduled to conduct a refueling test of its 98-meter (322-foot) Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on Saturday, but canceled everything Thursday night due to forecasts of below-freezing temperatures.
Crucial rehearsals are now scheduled to take place on Monday, weather permitting.
“The launch pad team and preparations are still underway to prepare for the wetsuit rehearsal,” NASA said in a statement.
“However, adjusting the test schedule will allow NASA to be successful during rehearsals as expected weather this weekend will violate launch conditions.”
The Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft sit on the mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B on January 29, 2026 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida
Due to the narrow Earth-Moon alignment window, NASA only has a handful of days each month to launch the first astronauts to the moon.
The latest changes leave NASA with just three days in February to send four astronauts around the moon and back before heading into March.
“Any additional delays will result in day-to-day changes,” NASA said in a statement Friday.
Officials said heaters are keeping the Orion capsule warm on top of the rocket and the rocket’s purification systems are adapting to the cold.
The crew remains in quarantine in Houston, and their ability to reach Kennedy Space Center in Florida is uncertain.
The four astronauts – NASA’s Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA)’s Jeremy Hansen – are expected to undergo approximately 14 days of quarantine to limit their chances of contracting the disease.
Staff can still contact friends, family and co-workers, but they will avoid public spaces, wear masks and keep their distance from anyone they come in contact with.
The 10-day Artemis 2 mission will be the furthest distance humans have traveled since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, which was also the last time astronauts walked on the moon.
The mission will not land on the moon; its goal is to test the systems and hardware needed to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the 2027 Artemis III mission.
Additional reporting from agencies.
