NASA Nears Artemis 2: Astronaut Launch to Moon Imminent
NASA is closing in on the Artemis 2 launch, now set for April 1, 2026. The mission is scheduled to lift off at 6:24 p.m. EDT from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B.
Launch schedule and mission profile
The mission will send four astronauts on a roughly 10-day trip around the moon. The flight will end with an ocean splashdown back on Earth.
Launch operations use the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion crew capsule. The ascent will begin from Pad 39B at Cape Canaveral.
Crew and quarantine
The Artemis 2 crew includes NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen completes the quartet.
The crew entered quarantine at Johnson Space Center on March 18 at 6 p.m. EDT. They continued quarantine at Kennedy Space Center after SLS moved to the pad on March 20.
The four flew to Florida and landed at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility on March 27. Their arrival was broadcast live, with remarks from agency administrator Jared Isaacman.
Rocket movements and technical work
The Artemis 2 SLS has moved several times this year between the Vehicle Assembly Building and Pad 39B. The crawler-transporter carried the stack about four miles each way.
On Jan. 17 the rocket rolled from the VAB to Pad 39B, arriving Jan. 17–18 at about 6:42 p.m. EST. Teams planned a wet dress rehearsal and a fueling test for early February.
After a helium-flow issue arose following a fueling test on Feb. 19, NASA rolled the vehicle back to the VAB for repairs. The rollback began on Feb. 25, with first motion confirmed at about 9:38 a.m. EST.
Teams spent time accessing the upper-stage systems to diagnose helium flow. They also replaced batteries in the flight termination system and upper stage.
The troubleshooting moved the earliest launch opportunity from March 6 to April 1. SLS rolled back to Pad 39B again in late March, arriving after an overnight transport March 20.
Transport and hardware details
The four-mile trips typically took up to 12 hours aboard Crawler Transporter-2. The full stack weighs millions of pounds and stands about 322 feet tall.
Ground crews have connected the mobile launch platform to pad infrastructure. They will complete final checks before fueling and launch.
Public events and media coverage
NASA scheduled a final press availability for the crew on the Sunday before launch. An afternoon press conference will follow with mission managers.
Photographer Josh Dinner was on site to set up remote cameras for launch coverage. Filmogaz.com will provide daily updates and live coverage of major events.
NASA has offered livestreams for key milestones, including crew arrival and rollout activities. Viewers can follow official NASA streams and Filmogaz.com updates.
With the countdown underway, NASA Nears Artemis 2 and the Astronaut Launch to Moon Imminent. Teams continue final checkouts ahead of liftoff.
