NASA Moon mission launch delayed to Mar

WASHINGTON, Feb 04 (AFP): NASA said Tuesday it's delaying until March the launch of its first crewed flyby mission to the Moon in more than 50 years, after encountering leaks during final tests.

The mishaps during a run-through that the US space agency calls a "wet dress rehearsal" dashed hopes that the mission around the Moon could launch as soon as Sunday. The next possible launch window now opens March 6.

The two-day test included filling the Space Launch System rocket with propellants, liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.

Teams were initially able to work through some of the hydrogen leaks they encountered, but ultimately the leak worsened as the simulated countdown reached about T-5 minutes, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a statement.