Expedition 74 Crew Best Wishes to Artemis II Crew | International Space Station

Expedition 74 Crew Best Wishes to Artemis II Crew | International Space Station

On Wednesday, April 1, 2026, NASA's Artemis II astronauts boarded the Orion crew spacecraft atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at Launch Complex 39B located at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The astronauts are now strapped into their seats and ready for launch.

The closeout crew is now completing one of the most critical steps before launch: preparing and closing the crew module hatch to the Orion spacecraft. Inside the White Room at Launch Complex 39B, the closeout crew is working meticulously to inspect seals, secure fasteners, and verify that the hatch is airtight.

This process ensures Orion is fully pressurized and ready for flight. Once the hatch is closed and locked, the astronauts are officially sealed inside their spacecraft, marking a major milestone on the path to liftoff.

The Artemis II test flight will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, around the Moon and back to Earth with launch opportunities beginning in April 2026. 

The Artemis II Moon crewed test flight is set for launch no earlier than 6:24 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) Wednesday, April 1, 2026 with a two-hour launch window. Additional opportunities for launch run through Monday, April 6.

Teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center are continuing final preparations for Artemis II with an 80% chance of favorable weather ahead of a launch as early as April 1.

Watch agency launch, lunar flyby, and splashdown coverage on:

NASA+: https://plus.nasa.gov/scheduled-events/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nasa

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NASA/

X: https://x.com/nasa

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/nasa

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

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

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

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev

European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot

NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Video Credit: NASA/J. Meir

Duration: 12 seconds
Date: April 1, 2026

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