![\"Illustration](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/nasa-artemis-2.jpg\")
Credit: NASA<\/p>\nNASA’s Artemis II mission to send astronauts round the Moon and back will now not likely launch until March 2026 at the earliest, the space agency has said.<\/p>\n
A previous earliest potential launch time of 8 February 2026 will likely be scrubbed after issues arose during a wet dress rehearsal completed on 2 February.<\/p>\n
Even earlier potential launch dates of 6 and 7 February were scrubbed after cold weather and winds at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center pushed the mission’s wet dress rehearsal back.<\/p>\n
While the earliest launch date officially remains 8 February for now, it seems NASA may announce a delay until March 2026.<\/p>\n
Credit: NASA<\/p>\n
The mission will see a crewed spacecraft return to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo era.<\/p>\n
While no astronauts will be setting foot on the Moon this time \u2013 we have to wait for Artemis III for that \u2013the mission marks a pivotal moment in the programme and future plans to put a permanent human settlement on the lunar surface.<\/p>\n
It follows the launch in on 16 November 2022 of the uncrewed Artemis I test flight.<\/p>\n
Here’s what we know about Artemis II preparations and the possible dates the mission could lift off.<\/p>\n
Find out more about the mission with our quick Artemis II facts<\/a><\/p>\n NASA is entering the final stages of preparation for the Artemis II mission, which is the first crewed flight of the Space Launch System<\/a> (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft.<\/p>\n Rollout of the fully stacked vehicle to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida was completed on Saturday 17 January 2026.<\/p>\n This rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building marked the start of final integration, testing and launch rehearsals for Artemis II.<\/p>\n The vehicle had to travel four miles during the rollout, with the total journey taking about 12 hours.<\/p>\n Now the Space Launch System is at the launch pad, NASA is undertaking further mission preparations including connecting electrical power, environmental control systems and cryogenic propellant lines.<\/p>\n All integrated systems will be powered up together at the pad for the first time, too, to check the rocket and infrastructure on the ground are working as they should be.<\/p>\n These tests complete, the Artemis II crew<\/a> \u2013\u00a0NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen \u2013 will conduct a final walkdown at the pad.<\/p>\n Artemis II rehearsal<\/p>\n NASA conducted a wet dress rehearsal for Artemis II on 2 February.<\/p>\n This included a full launch countdown practice and demonstrating the ability to load over 700,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the rocket.<\/p>\n During a wet dress rehearsal, the teams rehearse countdown procedures, propellant loading and removal and closeout crew operations without the astronauts onboard.<\/p>\n Issues such as a delay in fuelling due to cold weather, a liquid hydrogen leak and a ‘retorquing’ of a valve associated with pressurisation of the Orion crew module capsule, meant the wet dress rehearsal took longer than planned.<\/p>\n NASA said engineers have also been troubleshooting dropouts in audio communication that’s been affecting teams on the ground.<\/p>\n All this means that March is now the likely launch window for Artemis II, but the final timing of the launch will depend on technical readiness and orbital constraints, NASA says.<\/p>\n![\"Official](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/jsc2023e016432alt4-3ff2863.jpg\")
Official crew portrait for Artemis II, from left: NASA Astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Credit: NASA\/Josh Valcarcel
\nArtemis II preparations<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/artemis-ii-orion-connection.jpg\")
The Orion stage adapter connected the rocket’s upper stage to the Orion spacecraft in preparation for Artemis II, September 2025. Credit: NASA<\/p>\n![\"NASA\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/artemisilaunchnhq202211160029-5720bc1-e1681383146896.jpg\")
NASA\u2019s Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft launches on the Artemis I flight test, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, from Launch Complex 39B at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: NASA\/Joel Kowsky
\nArtemis II launch periods<\/p>\n