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Artemis II Moon Rocket Rolls to Pad as NASA Eyes Early February Launch Window

A wet dress rehearsal at Pad 39B will determine whether NASA commits to a Feb. 6–11 launch 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 next-generation moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion crew capsule, rolls to the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. January 17, 2026. Launch around the moon and back is scheduled for February 6, 2026. REUTERS/Joe Skipper
The Artemis II rocket rolls to Launch Complex 39-B at the Kennedy Space Center, on Saturday, January 17, 2026. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)

Overview

  • NASA’s 32‑story Space Launch System with the Orion spacecraft began its 4‑mile rollout to Launch Complex 39B on Jan. 17 to start final pad testing.
  • Engineers will run pad interface and communications checks culminating in a wet dress rehearsal that fully loads the rocket with liquid oxygen and hydrogen for a full countdown.
  • NASA will announce a launch date only after the fueling rehearsal and assessments, with February opportunities limited to Feb. 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11 and backup windows in March and April.
  • Mission planners are evaluating potential scheduling conflicts with a planned International Space Station crew launch that could shift Artemis II to the next available window.
  • The roughly 10‑day test flight will fly Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Jeremy Hansen around the Moon without a landing before a Pacific Ocean splashdown and Navy recovery.