NASA Rolls Artemis II Rocket Off Launch Pad After Helium Issue

NASA plans to roll the Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft off the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center as soon as Tuesday as engineers work to fix a helium flow issue in the rocket’s upper stage. The rollback will move the vehicle about four miles to the Vehicle Assembly Building so crews can determine the cause and complete repairs. NASA says the move could help preserve an April launch window, depending on what engineers find and how quickly fixes can be made. The Artemis II crew has been released from quarantine and remains in Houston as the agency prepares next steps.

Ed Histed

Ed launched his radio career in 1975 and has spent more than five decades in the broadcasting industry. During that time, he has served in a wide range of roles including Air Personality, News Director, Sales Manager, Operations Manager, and General Manager at numerous radio stations in various markets across the country. Beyond on-air and management responsibilities, Ed has also worked extensively on the technical side of broadcasting. His background includes RF engineering and information technology, with particular experience configuring digital automation systems and remote voice-tracking platforms used by stations across the country. Ed was also among a select group of industry professionals invited by Google to its California headquarters following the company’s acquisition of Scott Studios. He was one of just 12 broadcasters nationwide chosen to participate in discussions and provide input during the design and rollout of Google’s digital broadcast automation platform. Although the majority of Ed’s career—spanning roughly four decades—was rooted in music radio, he transitioned into news and information programming in 2012. He says the move into spoken-word broadcasting was a natural evolution after decades of experience in multiple areas of the industry.