At L-3, or three days until a planned launch, Artemis II stands at Launch Complex 36-B at Kennedy Space Center in the morning sun.
Artemis II, March 29, 2026
How To Photograph The Launch Of Artemis II
The launch of Artemis II is coming soon at Kennedy Space Center, and it is going to be unlike anything most people have seen in their lifetimes. The last time a crewed moon rocket launched from this pad at Kennedy was Apollo 17 in December 1972, and the Space Launch System is even more powerful than the Saturn V that carried those astronauts to the Moon. The plumes will be blinding, the sound will rattle your chest and your car windows, and the moment will be etched in your memory forever. If you are a photographer, you have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to document history.
NASA/Bill Ingalls
NASA Announces NET March 6 Target Date For Artemis II
This morning, NASA officially announced a no earlier than March 6th target launch date for Artemis II. That date is contingent on completion of some work at the launch pad, and a positive result from the upcoming Launch Readiness Review, which is scheduled for late next week.
NASA Planning Second Wet Dress Rehearsal For Artemis II
Photo: Charles Boyer
NASA is moving ahead with a second wet dress rehearsal, or WDR-2, for the Artemis II mission. Launch controllers will take their positions in the Launch Control Center at 6:40 PM ET tonight (Feb. 17), kicking off a nearly 50-hour countdown sequence. The simulated launch window opens at 8:30 PM on February 19th and extends four hours.
Artemis II Ground Support Equipment Woes Continue
Photo: Charles Boyer
NASA engineers are poring over data from tests conducted on February 12th as part of the Artemis II vehicle’s pre-flight checkouts. During the tests, operators partially filled the Artemis II core stage liquid hydrogen tank to evaluate newly replaced seals in the propellant loading area.
NASA Conducts Repairs At LC-39A, Fine Tunes Objectives For Second Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal
Photo by Charles Boyer
When NASA wrapped up the first Artemis II wet dress rehearsal on February 3 at Kennedy Space Center, they had successfully filled the SLS rocket’s tanks with cryogenic propellant. That was the good news, but the less welcome bad news was that the test revealed higher-than-allowable hydrogen gas leaks at the Tail Service Mast Unit on the launch pad. Obviously, those leaks must be repaired before a launch attempt.
The Work For WDR-2 Started As Soon As WDR-1 Was Completed
Not long after propellant draining was complete after WDR-1, technicians began working to access the TSMU umbilical. They detached both the rocket-side and ground-side interface plates to inspect the area where elevated hydrogen levels were detected, and replaced seals around two fueling lines.
The two tail service masts — each about three stories tall — provide the cryogenic propellant lines and electrical cable connections to the SLS core stage. They tilt back before launch and include “quick disconnects” — mechanisms that instantaneously detach at liftoff to ensure safe retraction.
Reconnecting the interfaces is expected to be complete by Monday, Feb. 9. Engineers are still evaluating the root cause of the leak, and the removed seals are being analyzed. NASA also plans additional testing at Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, to evaluate the dynamics of the interface plates. Engineers are reviewing options to verify the repair before committing to the next full wet dress rehearsal.
Repairs For WDR-2
Here’s a breakdown of the repairs underway and the operational changes NASA is making for WDR-2:
Five Key Changes for the Next Rehearsal
Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal | Kennedy Space Center
| Type | Change | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware Fix | Two seals replaced | Seals replaced around fueling lines at the tail service mast umbilical where hydrogen concentrations exceeded allowable levels. Removed seals are being analyzed and additional plate dynamics testing is planned at Stennis. |
| Operations | Orion hatch closed before test | The crew module hatch will be sealed prior to the rehearsal. The closeout crew — who on launch day help astronauts into their seats and close both Orion hatches — will not be deployed to the pad. |
| Operations | Crew access arm stays extended | The arm will not be retracted during the next rehearsal. Engineers successfully demonstrated during the Feb. 3 test that the ground launch sequencer can retract it during the final countdown phase, so that objective is already complete. |
| Timeline | One extra hour in countdown | NASA has added 30 minutes of extra hold time at each of two planned holds — one before and one after tanking operations — to allow more time for troubleshooting. The total countdown is now one hour longer. This does not affect the crew’s launch-day timeline. |
| Focus Shift | Rehearsal focused on fueling | With the crew access arm retraction and other pad objectives already demonstrated, the next WDR will concentrate on tanking operations and verifying the hydrogen leak repair. |
Source: NASA, “NASA Conducts Repairs, Analysis Ahead of Next Artemis II Fueling Test,” Feb. 8, 2026
NASA continues to eye March as the next potential launch opportunity but will not set a targeted launch date until after completing a successful wet dress rehearsal and reviewing the data. The critical second WDR is set to start as soon as this Friday, February 13th.
Photo: Charles Boyer
First Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal Completed; Launch Now NET March
Photo: Charles Boyer
Teams at Kennedy Space Center conducted and mostly completed a critical Wet Dress Rehearsal for the launch of the Artemis II rocket and ground support teams yesterday. The test was not without problems: Hydrogen leaks at the tail mast area of the pad and an issue closing Orion’s hatches bedeviled the tests, resulting in NASA announcing that the launch of the Artemis II mission is now no earlier than March 6, 2026.
“The Artemis II wet dress rehearsal countdown was terminated at the T-5:15 minute mark due to a liquid hydrogen leak at the interface of the tail service mast umbilical, which had experienced high concentrations of liquid hydrogen earlier in the countdown, as well,” NASA said.
In a press conference today, Artemis II Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson said, “When we got into the LH2 fast fill—which was around 12:29—is when we picked up our first leak in the SMU, in the cavity, which is where the flight and the ground plate come together. It’s that cavity in between. It’s in our eight-inch fill and drain line there. We have a QD that connects those two together.”
“It was similar to some of the signatures we saw during Artemis I. Our leak rate was a little bit higher—somewhere around 12 to 14%,” Blackwell-Thompson continued. “We tried a contingency procedure that we used during Artemis I: you let that QD warm up, you let the seal warm up, and you try it again. We did that a couple of times, worked our way through it, and were able to load the core stage all the way to replenish.”
When asked what items were missed in the Wet Dress Rehearsal, Blackwell-Thompson said, “What we didn’t get to do: we wanted to get through terminal count. We wanted to get inside terminal count, hold, and verify our three-minute hold capability—tanks in launch-ready state and you can hold them for up to three minutes.”
“We also wanted to demonstrate a recycle: come down, have a planned cutoff, come back and retarget a new T-0 within the launch window. Didn’t get a chance to do that.”
What’s Next
Before the March window, NASA’s engineers and mission managers will review data, equipment and procedures from the WDR yesterday and they will conduct a second Wet Dress Rehearsal before committing to a launch date. Of key interest are the Tail Mast interfaces that deliver LH2 to the rocket’s propellant tanks.
“With the conclusion of the wet dress rehearsal today, we are moving off the February launch window and targeting March for the earliest possible launch of Artemis II,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said today. “With more than three years between SLS launches, we fully anticipated encountering challenges. That is precisely why we conduct a wet dress rehearsal. These tests are designed to surface issues before flight and set up launch day with the highest probability of success.”
Remaining Launch Windows
ARTEMIS II MISSION AVAILABILITY – SPRING 2026
(Subject to Adjustments)
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Launch Window Available
| Launch Window Opening | Window | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Local Time | UTC | Lighting | Mins |
| Mar 6 | 8:29 PM EST | Mar 7, 01:29 | 2.05 hrs after sunset | 120 |
| Mar 7 | 8:57 PM EST | Mar 8, 01:57 | 2.51 hrs after sunset | 120 |
| Mar 8 | 10:56 PM EDT | Mar 9, 02:56 | 3.48 hrs after sunset | 120 |
| Mar 9 | 11:52 PM EDT | Mar 10, 03:52 | 4.40 hrs after sunset | 120 |
| Mar 10 | 12:48 AM EDT | Mar 10, 04:48 | 5.36 hrs after sunset | 115 |
| Apr 1 | 6:24 PM EDT | Apr 1, 22:24 | 1.28 hrs before sunset | 120 |
| Apr 3 | 8:00 PM EDT | Apr 4, 00:00 | 0.30 hrs after sunset | 120 |
| Apr 4 | 8:53 PM EDT | Apr 5, 00:53 | 1.17 hrs after sunset | 120 |
| Apr 5 | 9:40 PM EDT | Apr 6, 01:40 | 1.95 hrs after sunset | 120 |
| Apr 6 | 10:36 PM EDT | Apr 7, 02:36 | 2.87 hrs after sunset | 120 |
| Apr 30 | 6:06 PM EDT | Apr 30, 22:06 | 1.86 hrs before sunset | 120 |
↔ Scroll table on mobile
As of: February 3, 2026 at 8:32 AM EST
The Good and The Bad
A liquid hydrogen leak at the LC-39B’s Tail Mast umbilical connection to SLS’s core stage forced engineers into a troubleshooting effort that pushed the countdown about two hours behind schedule. The team cycled through several repair attempts, first halting LH2 flow, then letting the interface warm so seals could seat themselves properly, and finally by tweaking propellant flow rates before pressing ahead. Ultimately, they were successful in their efforts and got the 322-foot tall rocket fully fueled, but a great deal of time was lost during the effort.
Secondly, a recently replaced valve tied to Orion’s crew hatch pressurization system needed to be retorqued, and closeout work ran longer than expected. NASA stated around 10 PM last night that, “The closeout crew remains in the White Room and has closed the Orion spacecraft’s crew module hatch. While performing seal pressurization checks on the counterbalance assembly, which could be used to help open the hatch, a valve associated with Orion’s hatch pressurization was inadvertently vented. The counterbalance assembly then needed to be repressurized to allow work to continue.”
Finally, communications issues from SLS to ground caused some issues and will need to be remediated prior to the next Wet Dress Rehearsal, much less any launch attempt in March.
Clearly, there’s some work to do before Artemis II will be ready to fly.
The Artemis II crew has been released from quarantine for the time being. Once a new potential launch date becomes clearer, they will return to quarantine and fly to Kennedy Space Center for final preparations prior to launch.
NASA has scheduled a 1 PM ET press conference to offer more details.
Critical Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal Underway At KSC
Photo: Charles Boyer
The countdown for the Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal is underway at Kennedy Space Center. Yesterday at 8:13 PM ET, or L-48:40 hours, the simulated countdown began in preparation for a test launch window opening at 9 PM tomorrow, February 2nd.
Artemis II will not launch during this countdown, of course, as it is just a test countdown. The Artemis II crew will not be aboard during Orion the WDR.
Sometime around 1 AM ET Tuesday, or February 3rd, the WDR will conclude.
What Comes After The WDR
After the test cycle concludes, engineers and mission managers will review data gathered during the Wet Dress Rehearsal. This process may take a few days as each major system is reviewed. Since Artemis I, NASA has implemented changes to the liquid Hydrogen systems at LC-39B. That will be a particular area of concern, as H2 leaks bedeviled the Artemis I countdowns both in WDR and later on the night it launched.
After the Data Review, a Flight Readiness Review can be held, during which all aspects of the mission are reviewed: the SLS rocket, the Orion spacecraft, ground systems at the Cape, and the status of the recovery teams that would be first responders to a major anomaly, should one occur, and many others.
The FRR is last major review for the flight, and in it, the Artemis II management team will need to give the mission permission to proceed towards a launch. Only after that milestone is achieved will a launch date and time be announced by NASA.
Photo: Charles Boyer
The Wet Dress Rehearsal In Detail
| L-49 Hours, 15 Minutes and Counting | |
|---|---|
| Time | Activity |
| L-49H 15M | Launch team arrives on stations; countdown begins |
| L-48H 40M | Countdown clock begins |
| L-48H 45M – L-39H 45M | LOX/LH2 system preparations for vehicle loading |
| L-47H 30M – L-38H 30M | Fill water tank for sound suppression system |
| L-40H 30M – L-39H | Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) powered up |
| L-39H 30M – L-38H 45M | Core stage powered up |
| L-38H 45M – L-34H 30M | Final preparations of four RS-25 engines |
| L-34 Hours, 30 Minutes and Counting | |
|---|---|
| Time | Activity |
| L-33H 45M – L-33H 10M | ICPS powered down |
| L-32H 30M – L-28H 30M | Charge Orion flight batteries to 100% |
| L-30H 30M – L-23H 30M | Charge core stage flight batteries |
| L-19H 30M – L-16H | Orion crew suit regulator leak checks |
| L-19H 15M – L-17H 45M | ICPS powered up for launch |
| L-15 Hours and Counting | |
|---|---|
| Time | Activity |
| L-14H 30M – L-13H | All non-essential personnel leave Launch Complex 39B |
| L-13H 15M – L-11H 05M | Air-to-GN2 changeover and vehicle cavity inerting |
| L-12H 45M – L-11H 15M | Ground Launch Sequencer (GLS) activation |
| L-11 Hours, 40 Minutes and Counting | |
|---|---|
| Time | Activity |
| L-11H 35M – L-9H 20M | Built-in hold: 2 hours, 15 minutes |
| L-11H 40M – L-10H 30M | Weather and tanking briefing |
| L-10H 20M | Go/No-Go decision to begin tanking |
| L-10H 20M – L-9H | Orion cold soak |
| L-10H 10M – L-9H 50M | Core stage LOX transfer line chilldown |
| L-10H 10M – L-9H 25M | Core stage LH2 chilldown |
| L-10 Hours and Counting | |
|---|---|
| Time | Activity |
| L-9H 50M – L-9H 10M | Core stage LOX main propulsion system chilldown |
| L-9H 25M – L-9H | Core stage LH2 slow fill start |
| L-9H 20M | Resume T-Clock from T-8H 10M |
| L-9H 10M – L-8H 55M | Core stage LOX slow fill |
| L-9H – L-7H 40M | Core stage LH2 fast fill |
| L-8H 55M – L-6H 10M | Core stage LOX fast fill |
| L-8H 45M – L-8H 10M | ICPS LH2 chilldown |
| L-8H 10M – L-7H 25M | ICPS LH2 fast fill start |
| L-7H 45M – L-6H | ICPS LOX main propulsion system chilldown |
| L-7H 40M – L-7H 30M | Core stage LH2 topping |
| L-7H 30M – terminal | Core stage LH2 replenish |
| L-7H 25M – L-7H 05M | ICPS LH2 vent and relief test |
| L-7H 05M – L-6H 55M | ICPS LH2 tank topping start |
| L-6H 50M – terminal | ICPS LH2 replenish |
| L-6H 10M – L-5H 40M | Orion communications system activated (RF to Mission Control) |
| L-6H 10M – L-5H 40M | Core stage LOX topping |
| L-6 Hours and Counting | |
|---|---|
| Time | Activity |
| L-6H – L-5H 15M | ICPS LOX fast fill |
| L-5H 40M – terminal | Core stage LOX replenish |
| L-5H 40M | Stage pad rescue; closeout crew assemble |
| L-5H 15M – L-5H | ICPS LOX vent and relief test |
| L-5H – L-4H 40M | ICPS LOX topping |
| L-4H 40M – terminal | ICPS LOX replenish; all stages replenish |
| L-4H 40M | Built-in hold: 40 minutes |
| L-4H 40M – L-4H 25M | Closeout crew to white room |
| L-4H 30M – L-4H 20M | Crew Module hatch preps and closure |
| L-4H 20M – L-3H 20M | Counterbalance mechanism hatch seal/press decay checks |
| L-3H 20M – L-2H 40M | Crew Module hatch service panel install/closeouts |
| L-2H 40M – L-2H 20M | Launch Abort System (LAS) hatch closure for flight |
| L-1H 45M – L-1H 40M | Closeout crew departs Launch Complex 39B |
| L-1H 10M | Launch Director brief – Flight vehicle/TPS scan results with CICE |
| L-40 Minutes and Holding | |
|---|---|
| Time | Activity |
| L-40M | Built-in hold: 30 minutes |
| L-25 Minutes and Holding | |
|---|---|
| Time | Activity |
| L-25M | Transition team to Orion-to-Earth comm loop following final NTD briefing |
| L-16M | Launch Director polls team for “Go” for launch |
| T-10 Minutes – Terminal Count | |
|---|---|
| Time | Activity |
| T-10M | Ground Launch Sequencer (GLS) initiates terminal count |
| T-8M | Crew Access Arm retract |
| T-6M | GLS go for core stage tank pressurization; Orion set to internal power |
| T-5M 57S | Core stage LH2 terminate replenish |
| T-4M | GLS go for core stage APU start; APU starts; Core stage LOX terminate replenish |
| T-3M 30S | ICPS LOX terminate replenish |
| T-3M 10S | GLS go for purge sequence 4 |
| T-2M 02S | ICPS switches to internal battery power |
| T-2M | Booster switches to internal battery power |
| T-1M 30S | Core stage switches to internal power; hold for 3-minute certification hold time verification |
| T-1M 20S | ICPS enters terminal countdown mode |
| T-50S | ICPS LH2 terminate replenish |
| T-33S | GLS sends “Go for Automated Launch Sequencer” command; GLS Cutoff/Recycle |
Terminal Count Hold Rules:
- Teams can hold at T-6M for the duration of the launch window (minus 6 minutes) without recycling.
- Between T-6M and T-1M 30S: holds up to 3 minutes can resume; longer holds recycle to T-10M.
- After T-1M 30S but before automated sequencer: recycle to T-10M if window permits.
- After automated sequencer handover: any stop concludes the launch attempt for that day.
Source: Countdown Begins for Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal, NASA, January 31, 2026.
Artemis II Astronauts Enter Quarantine
The four astronauts assigned to NASA’s first lunar voyage in more than half a century entered medical isolation on Friday as Kennedy Space Center teams push toward a potential early February launch window.
NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, joined by Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, have begun what the agency calls a “health stabilization program”—a precautionary period designed to shield the crew from illness that could scrub their mission. The protocol typically spans 14 days before liftoff, though NASA has yet to announce an official launch date while rocket and spacecraft testing continues.
Preparations Continue At KSC
At Kennedy Space Center, preparations are accelerating around the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft at Launch Pad 39B. Ground crews have wrapped up checkouts of mechanical power systems, cryogenic propellant lines, and the rocket’s RS-25 engines.
Beginning Saturday, January 24th, the perimeter around LC-39B will be cleared of non-essential personnel as technicians begin servicing the twin solid rocket boosters as part of the final preparations for SLS and its first crewed flight.
Astros To Come To KSC Late Next Week If All Continues Going Well.
The astronauts are currently quarantining in Houston but will relocate to Kennedy Space Center approximately six days before launch if testing milestones continue on schedule. Upon arrival, they’ll take up residence in the astronaut crew quarters housed within the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building—the same facility that has hosted crews since the Space Shuttle era.
During isolation, the crew will complete mission simulations and medical evaluations while maintaining limited contact with pre-screened family members and colleagues in order to prevent exposure to any illnesses that might prevent them from launching.
Artemis II Pre-Launch Milestones
Launch window opens Feb. 6, 2026
| Milestone | Target Date | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch Pad Integration | Late Jan. 2026 | In Progress | Connect GSE, electrical lines, fuel ducts, and cryo feeds; power up integrated systems |
| Crew Final Walkdown | Late Jan. 2026 | Upcoming | Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen conduct final pad inspection |
| Wet Dress Rehearsal | NET Feb. 2, 2026 | Upcoming | Load 700,000+ gallons of cryogenic propellants; full countdown practice; detanking ops |
| Flight Readiness Review | Early Feb. 2026 | Upcoming | Mission management assesses all systems and commits to official launch date |
| Launch | NET Feb. 6, 2026 | Launch Window | 16 launch opportunities through April 30, 2026; first window 9:41 PM EST (02:41 UTC) |
As of Jan. 24, 2026, 12:00 PM EST
Artemis II Viewing Spots
The Artemis II mission will mark humanity’s return to lunar exploration with a crewed spacecraft for the first time since Apollo 17 in December 1972. NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft will carry astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth.
The launch is currently slated for April 1st and 6:47pm EDT, with a two hour window on that day. If weather or technical reasons necessitate postponement on April 1, April 2 is available.
Launch will occur from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center—the same historic pad complex that sent Apollo astronauts to the Moon aboard Apollo 10. After that, LC-39B was reconfigured for the Space Shuttle program, serving as the launch site for 53 missions. At the end of the Shuttle era, the pad was designated for Project Artemis.
Last update: March 27, 10am
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