Final Steps Underway for NASA’s First Crewed Artemis Moon Mission

Final Steps Underway for NASA’s First Crewed Artemis Moon Mission

As NASA moves closer to launch of the Artemis II test flight, the agency soon will roll its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft to the launch pad for the first time at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to begin final integration, testing, and launch rehearsals.

NASA is targeting no earlier than Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, to begin the multi-hour trek from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to Launch Pad 39B. The four-mile journey on the crawler-transporter-2, at a careful speed of roughly 1 mile per hour, will take up to 12 hours. The massive crawler keeps the mobile launcher and rocket perfectly level throughout the trip, even on the gentle slopes of the crawlerway. Once at the pad, the stack will be secured, ground support systems will be connected, and teams will conduct a full wet dress rehearsal at the end of January to practice fueling and countdown procedures in preparation for flight.

Teams are working around the clock to close out all tasks ahead of rollout. However, this target date is subject to change if additional time is needed for technical preparations or weather.

Launch is currently scheduled for "no later than April 2026."

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Follow updates on the Artemis blog: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
Image Date: Dec. 20, 2025
Release Date: Jan. 11, 2026

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