#Moon mission

NASA says it is targeting no earlier than April 1 for Artemis II, the first crewed mission of the Artemis program, and has outlined a slate of live coverage for launch preparations, launch day, and the roughly 10-day fly

NASA has set April 1, 2026 as the target launch date for Artemis II, the first crewed flight around the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972, carrying four astronauts on a 10-day mission aboard the Orion spacecraft.

As NASA finalizes preparations for Artemis II — the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo — the agency converges with Hollywood in the release of 'Project Hail Mary,' which NASA scientists helped shape and ISS crews screened in orbit.

NASA has about three weeks to complete repairs to the Space Launch System's upper stage before the next Artemis 2 launch window opens in early April. The agency rolled the rocket back to the Vehicle Assembly Building after a helium flow problem that couldn't be diagnosed at the launch pad.

NASA has hauled its massive Space Launch System rocket back to the Vehicle Assembly Building after engineers discovered they couldn't repressurize the upper stage's helium system. The problem pushes the Artemis 2 crewed lunar mission from March to no earlier than April 1.

NASA will attempt to fuel its Artemis 2 Space Launch System rocket for the second time on February 19, after a hydrogen leak during the first wet dress rehearsal forced the agency to wave off a February launch window. If the test succeeds, a crewed lunar mission could launch as early as March.

A hydrogen fuel leak during the Artemis II wet dress rehearsal has pushed the crewed Moon mission from February to March 2026, as technicians replace seals on the mobile launcher.