Artemis II is targeting a second wet dress rehearsal on Thursday, Feb. 19.
The Artemis II crew will not participate in the wet dress rehearsal, but closeout teams will practice sealing the Orion hatch.
Artemis II will have four astronauts on board.
Integrasys will monitor trajectory deviations for Artemis II during both launch phases and orbital operations.
NASA could see the Artemis II four-person crew launch as early as March 6 pending test results and data reviews.
NASA relaxed its fueling safety limit for hydrogen leaks by a factor of four between Artemis I and Artemis II.
Artemis II is scheduled to fly four astronauts around the Moon and back no earlier than March.
Artemis II will not include a lunar surface landing and will provide the first human eyes on the lunar far side since the 20th century.
Artemis II will follow a free-return trajectory and carry commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a ten-day flight around the far side of the Moon in Orion's small capsule.
As of the article update on February 3, 2026, the next possible Artemis II launch window shifted into March 2026.
Artemis II astronauts will make geological observations of the lunar far side and can almost instantly interpret and adjust those observations in ways orbital cameras cannot.
Before Artemis II launch, NASA must complete final checks including testing systems while the rocket is fueled and validating the crew emergency exit and propellant handling.
If Artemis II is successful, it will be the first time any person has been back to the Moon since 1972 when Apollo 17 returned to Earth.
The propellant discussed for Artemis II operations includes hydrazine, a molecule composed of nitrogen and hydrogen that is highly energy-dense.
Artemis II has no descent stage, no surface operations and will not plant a new flag.
The two primary components of Artemis II are the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion crew capsule.
The Artemis II crew will consist of four astronauts who will orbit the Moon on a 10-day voyage and return via splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
Artemis II will be the first crewed deep-space mission since Apollo 17 in 1972 if it flies in 2026.
Artemis II's mission goal is to send people to pass by the Moon and test all engineering systems in space before Artemis III.
Artemis II is targeting a launch no earlier than March 6, 2026.