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Artemis II Moon Rocket Reaches Pad 39B for Final Tests Before Possible February Launch

NASA says an early‑February wet dress rehearsal will determine whether the crewed lunar flyby can lift off in its Feb. 6–11 window.

Image
The Orion crew capsule exits the vehicle assembly building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., January 17, 2026. Launch around the moon and back is scheduled for no earlier than February 6, 2026. REUTERS/Joe Skipper
NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, secured to the mobile launcher, are seen as they make the 4.2 mile journey toward Launch Pad 39B, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft are seen illuminated by lights at Launch Complex 39B, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Overview

  • SLS and Orion completed the 4‑mile rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B, beginning integrated pad checkouts.
  • The wet dress will fully load the rocket with super‑cold propellants to validate leak‑mitigation upgrades informed by Artemis I testing.
  • A firm launch date will be set only after the fueling test and a Flight Readiness Review, with additional opportunities identified in March and April.
  • Artemis II preparations coincide with plans to advance SpaceX’s Crew‑12 ISS launch after Crew‑11’s early medical return, raising potential resource and timing constraints.
  • The roughly 10‑day mission will carry Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen on the first human voyage beyond Earth orbit since 1972.