Artemis II: Astronauts, Rocket & Latest Updates on NASA’s Moon Mission

March 25, 2026 Rachel Kim – Technology Editor Technology

NASA is targeting April 1st as the launch date for Artemis II, a crewed mission that will send four astronauts on a 10-day flight around the Moon and back, marking the first time humans will have returned to lunar vicinity since 1972.

The decision to proceed with a launch window opening April 1st came after a successful flight readiness review on Thursday, where all teams gave their approval, according to Lori Glaze of NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate. The review followed repairs to a helium system issue within the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which required the rocket to be rolled back into the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in February. Technicians replaced a seal to resolve the problem, and the rocket was subsequently returned to its launch pad.

The Artemis II crew consists of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, the commander; Victor Glover, the pilot; and Christina Koch, a mission specialist. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen is also a mission specialist. The astronauts were present at the flight readiness review.

The mission will utilize the SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft, which is designed to carry a crew to the Moon and return them safely to Earth. During the flight, the crew will observe the Moon’s features from a distance; from their vantage point, the Moon is expected to appear roughly the size of a basketball, NASA officials have stated.

Even as NASA is aiming for an April 1st launch, there are several potential launch windows available through April 6th. If the mission does not launch within that timeframe, the next available launch date is April 30th. NASA has not yet announced any further launch dates beyond April, but officials indicated they will do so if necessary.

Currently, NASA is providing a 24/7 livestream of the Artemis II rocket and spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center on YouTube, and will also livestream the launch itself when it occurs. The crew is currently in quarantine in preparation for the mission.