NASA bumps up Artemis 2 rehearsal—launch prep in full swing
NASA just moved the big Artemis 2 "wet dress rehearsal" to January 31, a few days earlier than planned.
This is a major step before their February 6 launch, with the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft already at Launch Pad 39B getting checked out.
What's this rehearsal all about?
Kicking off as early as Thursday evening (Jan. 29), the team will run through real countdown drills—including pauses and restarts—to make sure everything works for launch night, with the cryogenic propellant loading of over 700,000 gallons scheduled for Saturday toward a simulated 9pm EST launch.
They've also been busy with engine checkouts and prepping booster systems.
Meet the Artemis 2 crew
The four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch (all NASA), and Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency)—are in a 14-day quarantine at Johnson Space Center that began Jan. 23.
It's their final stretch before heading to the Moon's neighborhood.
Fun fact: Artemis missions are so complex that last time it took multiple rehearsals just to get things leak-free!