Technical problems in early February cut short an earlier so-called wet dress rehearsal of the launch of the Artemis 2 mission.

But on Thursday, the US space agency reported that things proceeded as planned, concluding at “T-29 seconds” in the countdown.

Nasa is now expected to set a firm date for the mission. The agency said it would brief media on Friday.

The wet dress rehearsal is conducted under real conditions – with full rocket tanks and technical checks – at Cape Canaveral in Florida, with engineers practising the manoeuvres needed to carry out an actual launch.

The setback in February, which included a liquid hydrogen leak, dashed hopes of a lift-off this month, pushing the earliest possible launch date back to March 6.

The Artemis 2 mission will be the first crewed mission to fly past the Moon in more than 50 years, with three Americans and one Canadian taking part.