NASA is targeting March 6, 2026, as the earliest possible launch date for Artemis II, the first crewed mission of the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The announcement follows successful completion of a critical “wet dress rehearsal” at Kennedy Space Center, simulating the fueling of the SLS rocket.
The ten-day mission will carry a crew of four – NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen – on a flight path that loops around the Moon and returns to Earth. According to NASA, the mission will test the Orion spacecraft’s life support systems and capabilities for deep space travel.
Artemis II is intended to be the first crewed mission to venture beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. The flight will send the crew farther from Earth than any previous human spaceflight, with a planned flyby of the Moon at a distance of approximately 6,400 miles (10,300 kilometers). Re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere is projected to occur at a record speed of roughly 25,000 miles per hour (40,000 km/h).
The mission represents a significant milestone in the Artemis program, building upon the success of the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022. Artemis II aims to demonstrate the capabilities necessary for future, longer-duration lunar missions and eventual crewed missions to Mars.
Victor Glover is slated to grow the first person of color, Christina Koch the first woman, and Jeremy Hansen the first person not from the United States to travel around the Moon. The crew completed quarantine protocols in February ahead of the planned launch.
Recovery of the Orion capsule and crew will be conducted by the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Ocean, with a planned landing date of March 15, 2026. NASA is currently preparing for a subsequent wet dress rehearsal, a final key test before the launch date is confirmed.
