Countdown to the Moon: Artemis II Launch Set for April

NASA prepares the historic Artemis II launch targeting April as 4 astronauts plan a 10-day Moon mission, marking the first crewed lunar flyby in 50+ years.

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Mar 13, 2026 - 05:00

Countdown to the Moon: Artemis II Launch Set for April

NASA says it is ready to launch its Artemis II mission in early April, with astronauts flying around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years.

The rocket was scheduled to launch in March, but after a helium leak was discovered, it was sent back to the Vehicle Assembly Building in Cape Canaveral, Florida, for repairs.

NASA says it is confident the problem has been fixed and plans to return the rocket to the launchpad on March 19, with a launch date expected to be April 1.

Speaking at a press briefing, NASA leaders also emphasized the risks associated with the mission.

Three US astronauts, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, are part of the Artemis II crew.

They will be the first humans to fly on NASA's mega-moon rocket – the Space Launch System – and the Orion spacecraft.

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During the 10-day mission, they will orbit the other side of the Moon – the side we never see from Earth – and then return home.

John Honeycutt, chairman of the Artemis II Mission Management Team, said, "We want to make sure we're thinking about everything that could go wrong, and that we've anticipated and addressed all the risks so that we're in the best position to succeed."

He added, "If you look at the data over time, over the entire life of a new rocket, the data will show you that one in two chances are successful. You only succeed 50% of the time. I think we're in a much better position than that."

"We do a very good job of understanding the risks, mitigating the risks, mitigating the risks, and adding controls to manage the risks."

The NASA team said they weren't going to try another so-called "wet dress rehearsal" once the rocket rolls out to the launchpad.

This is a pre-launch test in which the rocket is fueled and put through the countdown sequence.

Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, said, "There's not much to be gained from this."

"The next time we tank the vehicle, we'll try to launch."

She added that there's still work to be done before NASA can confirm a launch date.

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Glaze said, "The agency and I are comfortable with making April 1st our first opportunity, just keep in mind we still have work to do."

"There's still some work to be done inside the Vehicle Assembly Building and on the pad, and as always, we'll be guided by what the hardware is telling us, and launch when we're ready."

NASA is under pressure to launch the Artemis II mission.

The first Artemis mission, which carried the Space Launch System and Orion capsule to the Moon without any humans, has already been delayed by two years after problems were discovered with its heat shield.

In December 2024, the space agency set a deadline for launching Artemis II before the end of April 2026.

"Right now, we're very focused on April," Glaze said.

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