What triggered the latest risk to the NASA Artemis II launch?

Engineers saw interrupted helium flow in the Space Launch System upper stage during integrated testing. Helium pressurizes systems that support engine operations. NASA is troubleshooting to find the root cause and confirm the safest fix. The choice is to repair at the pad or roll back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for faster hardware access.

Could NASA still target April if March slips?

Yes. If teams fix the issue at the pad and pass retests, April remains possible. A rollback would add transport and access time, making April harder but not impossible. The decisive factors are root-cause complexity, parts availability, and how quickly the stage clears functional checks after repair and revalidation.

Which companies are most exposed to an Artemis II delay?

Exposure sits with core Artemis contractors: Boeing on SLS, Lockheed Martin on Orion, Northrop Grumman on boosters, L3Harris via Aerojet Rocketdyne on propulsion, and ULA on the upper stage. Delays can defer milestone payments. Broad defense portfolios limit total earnings impact, but near-term cash timing and sentiment can still move shares.

What should investors watch over the next two weeks?

Look for NASA’s choice between at-pad repair and rollback, restored helium flow during retests, and a clean Flight Readiness Review. Monitor any changes to the next launch window and contractor comments on schedule buffers. Those signals will set whether the NASA Artemis II launch lands in April or slips further.

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Artemis II Today, February 22: Helium Fault Puts March Launch at Risk

ByHuzaifa Zahoor February 22, 2026February 22, 2026

NASA Artemis II launch faces new risk after engineers found interrupted helium flow in the Space Launch System upper stage during ground tests on February 21. The SLS helium issue could force a rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building, putting the March window in doubt while April remains possible, per agency updates. For U.S. investors, any Artemis II delay can shift milestone payments and re-sequence work across the Moon-to-Mars pipeline. We outline what happened, the decision tree ahead, and which contractors sit closest to near-term schedule and cash flow impacts.