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yesterday

Artemis II Reaches Launch Pad for Wet Dress Rehearsal Ahead of Possible Early February Launch

A fueling and countdown test by Feb. 2 will decide whether the four-astronaut lunar flyby proceeds toward a Feb. 6 liftoff or returns to the assembly building for more work.

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Artemis II

Overview

  • NASA rolled the fully stacked Space Launch System and Orion to Launch Complex 39B on Jan. 17 after a nearly 12-hour, 4-mile trip from the Vehicle Assembly Building.
  • Teams are preparing a wet dress rehearsal no later than Feb. 2 to load cryogenic propellants and run a full countdown before draining the tanks.
  • Depending on test results, NASA may repeat the rehearsal or roll the rocket back for adjustments before attempting launch.
  • The earliest launch window opens Feb. 6, kicking off a roughly 10-day free-return flyby to test Orion’s life support, propulsion, navigation and deep-space communications.
  • The crew comprises NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and CSA’s Jeremy Hansen, and NASA’s public name campaign closes Jan. 21 with over 1.5 million names set to fly on an SD card inside Orion.