Overview

• Officials set an earliest possible launch on Feb. 5, 2026, and committed to fly no later than April 2026 after a program update at Johnson Space Center.
• Launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson said the SLS rocket is largely stacked, while Orion completes final processing before stacking and rollout at Kennedy Space Center.
• Upcoming milestones include installing the Orion stage adapter and cubesats, mating Orion to SLS, connecting ground systems at the pad, and conducting a full wet dress rehearsal.
• NASA delayed the mission to address Orion heat-shield char observed on Artemis I and adjusted the reentry plan and other elements to prioritize crew safety.
• The crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen—will fly a free‑return around the Moon and have named their Orion spacecraft Integrity.