Artemis II mission aims to launch in early April

The much anticipated (and delayed) Artemis II mission is on track to blast off in early April, Nasa have said.

This is a month later than planned, as the discovery of a helium leak (a gas not used as a fuel but needed to function) meant the rocket had to be taken back in for repairs.

Nasa have now said they're confident the problem is fixed, and is hoping to get the rocket back on its launch pad by 19 March, with the earliest it can set off being 1 April.

Lori Glaze, a senior Nasa official, said: "It's a test flight, and it is not without risk, but our team and our hardware are ready... Just keep in mind we still have work [to do]."

Artemis II will send four astronauts on a trip around the Moon - US astronauts, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

They will be the first humans to fly on Nasa's mega Moon rocket - the Space Launch System - and in the Orion spacecraft.

They will be travelling to the dark side of the Moon, which is the bit round the back we can never see from Earth.

How close they get will depend on when they leave - the Moon will continue to orbit so leaving any later than 1 April will change the distance.

This is all in preparation for eventually landing on the Moon for the first time since 1972.

This was due to happen on the next mission, Artemis III, but that's now been revised to practising landing the rocket on the rocky surface, before immediately coming back again. This is due to happen in 2027.

The astronauts have also said there won't be any more 'wet' rehearsals like the one conducted in early February before next month's lift off.

The rehearsal included practising everyone to do with launching, except actually setting off into space.

The revised Moon landing, Artemis IIII, is now planned for sometime in 2028.