NASA’s Artemis II crew capsule Orion has confirmed a small internal helium leak in the service module’s pressure‑supply valves. The fault, discovered during a mid‑mission propulsion test, does not vent to space and has not degraded any burns, which have all performed nominally. Because the service module separates before re‑entry, the leaking hardware will burn up with it. No impact on crew safety.

Mission controllers scrapped a planned manual‑piloting demo to run additional checks on the valve system, measuring how thermal orientation affects the leak rate. Engineers had known of a low‑rate leak from ground tests and saw a ten‑fold increase in‑flight, but margins remain generous—only 40 % of fuel is consumed with roughly 80 % of the flight completed. The data will inform future valve specifications.

The anomaly will drive a redesign of the European‑built service module valves before Artemis IV, NASA’s first lunar‑surface mission slated for 2028. While the crew module’s independent propulsion ensures a safe splashdown, the loss of the service module means engineers cannot inspect the faulty parts after burn‑up. Artemis IV must launch with a fixed valve design to meet lunar‑orbit requirements. NASA expects the redesign to be completed by late 2027.