The agency is currently targeting launch of the Artemis II mission for the window opening in early-April 2026. This historic trip will be the first crewed voyage to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. As for the crew, four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—are about to experience an amazing journey. During this time, they’ll be spending ten consecutive days flying around the far side of the Moon, a mysterious territory that we can’t see from Earth.
The upcoming Artemis II mission will be a historic milestone. It will leverage NASA’s mega Moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS) and its Orion crewed spacecraft. The crew will be the first humans to fly aboard this powerful rocket, which has already undergone testing in a previous uncrewed mission. Its launch was first planned for March 2026. Then it hit another delay, when the ULA found a helium leak during prelaunch preparations that necessitated repairs and a move of the rocket back to the Vehicle Assembly Building in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Specifically, NASA has established an uncompromising must-fail deadline that Artemis II intends to launch no later than the end of April 2026. Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator of the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA, expressed confidence in the agency’s timeline, stating, “I am comfortable and the agency is comfortable with targeting April 1 as our first opportunity, just keep in mind we still have work to go.”
The Moon’s far side offers distinct challenges and scientific opportunities for exploration. Spoilers As part of their mission, the astronauts will circle this enigmatic expanse and come back home in one piece.
“There’s not a lot more to be gained from that,” Glaze stated regarding additional rehearsals for the launch, emphasizing that the next fueling test would occur during the actual launch attempt.
John Honeycutt, another NASA official, emphasized the agency’s focus on being prepared. “We want to be sure that we’re thinking about everything that can possibly go wrong, and have we assessed and adjudicated all the risks to put us in the best posture to be successful,” Honeycutt remarked.
In the meantime NASA is already deep in preparations for the planned launch. They’ve been performing vital work both in the Vehicle Assembly Building and out at the launch pad. “There are still things that need to be done within the Vehicle Assembly Building and out at the pad, and as always, we’ll always be guided by what the hardware is telling us, and we will launch when we’re ready,” Glaze added.