NASA's Artemis 2 Moon rocket gets ready to roll
NASA just announced that the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft will make their big move to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center on January 17, 2026.
The four-mile trip, handled by a massive crawler, kicks off a series of final checks before liftoff.
First crew heads back toward the Moon since the '70s
Artemis 2 is set to launch no earlier than February 6, 2026, sending astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day journey around the moon—the first human mission beyond Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Testing tech for deep space travel
This mission isn't just about getting there—it's a full test of NASA's new rocket and spacecraft systems with a crew onboard.
Before launch day, teams will run a "wet dress rehearsal," loading over 700,000 gallons of super-cold propellant and practicing countdowns to ensure all systems and procedures function as intended.
Tight launch window means no room for error
After the final rehearsal and a flight readiness review, NASA will determine if Artemis 2 can fly between February and April—just 15 possible dates thanks to tricky lunar orbits, weather risks, and scheduling limits.
Every detail has to line up for this historic return to lunar space.