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Photos: Counting Down to the Launch of Artemis II
NASA’s Artemis II—the first mission to carry humans beyond low Earth orbit in more than 50 years—is scheduled to launch on April 1, 2026. The 10-day journey will take four astronauts around the moon and back, testing NASA’s new launch system before future missions to the lunar surface.
TL;DR
- The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft is undergoing final preparations for the Artemis II mission.
- Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Jeremy Hansen, have participated in integrated ground-systems tests.
- Wind tunnel tests were conducted on a scale model of the SLS rocket to assess its aerodynamic behavior.
- The Orion crew module underwent direct-field acoustic testing to simulate launch conditions.
- Crew members have participated in lunar-observations training and recovery operation tests.
- The Launch Abort System for Orion has been successfully tested.
- The SLS rocket core stage has been transported and integrated with solid rocket boosters.
- The SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft have completed rollout to Launch Pad 39B.