The Artemis II crew will fly by the lunar far side before returning to Earth.
Artemis II is currently planned for March 2026 with a possible slip into April 2026.
Artemis II will demonstrate that the United States can operate human spacecraft at lunar distances and orchestrate communications, navigation and life-support systems for cislunar operations.
Projected near-term timelines in the current competitive landscape include an Artemis II crewed lunar flyby around 2026, an Artemis III landing likely in 2028 or 2029, and China aiming for a first crewed lunar landing around 2030.
The Artemis II astronauts are continuing their training activities.
The official Artemis II target launch date can be March at the earliest.
A NASA fueling test of the SLS rocket on February 2 for Artemis II experienced repeat hydrogen leaks beyond acceptable thresholds at multiple points.
The closeout crew responsible on launch day for assisting the Artemis II crew into their seats and closing Orion’s two hatches will not be deployed to the launch pad for the next rehearsal.
Artemis II will fly four astronauts around the Moon and back.
NASA teams began reviewing the February 2 fueling test data to form mitigation plans and will return for another fueling test before setting an official Artemis II target launch date.
NASA is still hoping to launch Artemis II in the March launch window but will not set a target launch date until it is satisfied with repairs to seals on two fuel lines.
Artemis II will not orbit the Moon and will have a closest approach of more than 7,000 kilometers from the lunar surface.
The Artemis II astronauts are not directly participating in the wet dress rehearsal, but crew-related launch day milestones are built into the rehearsal timeline.
NASA's Artemis II test flight will carry Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, along with Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, on a mission around the Moon and back to Earth no later than April 2026.
Artemis II will launch NASA’s Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft and a crew of four astronauts on a mission into deep space.
Artemis II is scheduled to launch no earlier than March 6.
Artemis II has a preliminary target for a second Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR) during the week following Feb 6, 2026.
No funds will be exchanged as part of the collaborative tracking effort for Artemis II.
A March 3 NET launch for Artemis II could result in a daylight T‑0 given a sunset time of 6:23 pm EST.
A not-earlier-than (NET) launch date of March 3, 2026 is being considered for Artemis II.