NASA's Artemis II has possible launch opportunity on April 1
NASA's Artemis II has a possible launch opportunity on April 1, 2026, from Kennedy Space Center.
After some last-minute technical hiccups with the rocket's helium system earlier this year, teams rolled the vehicle back to the Vehicle Assembly Building to troubleshoot and perform repairs, and work was underway with a firm return-to-launch schedule pending completion of those activities and subsequent reviews.
Backup dates are also available
There are several launch windows: April 1, plus backups on April 3, 4, 5, and 6.
If something comes up, there's a backup date on April 30. So plenty of chances to catch history in the making.
Meet the crew of Artemis II
Commander Reid Wiseman leads a diverse crew: Victor Glover (pilot), Christina Koch (NASA mission specialist), and Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency).
They'll spend 10 days flying around the moon, passing near its far side, to test navigation, life support systems, and reentry tech ahead of future lunar landings.
Why was the mission delayed?
The mission was originally scheduled for late 2024, then moved to September 2025, before being pushed to early 2026 after hydrogen leaks and valve issues popped up during rehearsals.
Teams are reviewing data and performing repairs, with follow-up testing planned before declaring the problems resolved.