Leaky Fuel Threatens Artemis II: NASA's Moon Mission Faces Hydrogen Leaks
NASA's Artemis II faces hydrogen-leak delays as engineers tackle SLS rocket seals and push the lunar window.
**Victor J. Glover Jr.** is a United States Navy captain, test pilot, and NASA astronaut born on April 30, 1976, in Pomona, California.[2] He was selected as a member of NASA's 21st Astronaut Group in 2013 while serving as a legislative fellow on the personal staff of Senator John McCain.[1][4] Glover earned his Naval Aviator wings on December 14, 2001, following flight training in Pensacola, Florida, and Kingsville, Texas.[1] Over his military aviation career, he accumulated 3,500 flight hours in more than 40 different aircraft, completed over 400 carrier arrested landings, and flew 24 combat missions.[1] He served as an F/A-18 Hornet, Super Hornet, and EA-18G Growler pilot, and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School.[2] After completing Astronaut Candidate Training in 2015, Glover served in various roles including space station capsule communicator and Expedition 52 Increment Lead Crewmember.[1] His first spaceflight came in November 2020 as pilot of SpaceX's Crew-1 mission aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft Resilience, marking the first operational crewed flight of that vehicle.[2] During this mission, he spent 168 days in space from November 16, 2020, to May 2, 2021, completed four spacewalks totaling 26 hours and 7 minutes, and served as a flight engineer for ISS Expeditions 64 and 65.[1][3] Notably, Glover became the first African American to live in residence aboard the International Space Station, not merely visit for short-term missions.[2][8] Currently, Glover holds significant relevance in NASA's deep space exploration program. In 2023, he was assigned as pilot for the Artemis II mission, a approximately 10-day crewed flight to the Moon that will test NASA's Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System rocket, and foundational human deep space exploration capabilities.[1][7] This mission represents a critical step in NASA's goal to establish a long-term lunar presence for science and exploration.
NASA's Artemis II faces hydrogen-leak delays as engineers tackle SLS rocket seals and push the lunar window.
NASA kicks off Artemis II wet dress rehearsal for the Space Launch System, loading cryogenic propellants ahead of the crewed lunar flyby.
NASA's Artemis 2 tightens the launch window, affecting SpaceX Crew-12 as wet dress rehearsals and lunar alignments shape a February 2026 schedule.
NASA's Artemis II moves to Launch Pad 39B, advancing a crewed lunar mission with four astronauts.
Artemis 2 crew completes a full dress rehearsal at Kennedy Space Center, edging toward a 2026 lunar mission with Orion and SLS procedures.
NASA's Crew-10 mission has successfully returned to Earth after five months in space, marking another milestone for space exploration.