Orion – Spaceflight Now

Launch preview: NASA to launch Artemis 2, its first Moon-bound mission with astronauts since 1972

April 1, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The four astronauts will spend more than nine days onboard their Orion spacecraft and is poised to pass the distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970. Liftoff from Launch Complex 39B is scheduled for Wednesday, April 1, at 6:24 p.m. EDT (2224 UTC).

NASA returns its SLS rocket back to the launch pad ahead of planned April flight of Artemis 2

March 19, 2026 Will Robinson-Smith

The rollout of the 322-foot-tall rocket took fewer than 12 hours after first motion, which occurred at about 12:20 a.m. EDT (0420 UTC). NASA hopes to launch the crewed test flight to the Moon no earlier than April 1.

NASA ready for another shot at launching Artemis 2 moon mission

March 13, 2026 William Harwood

At the conclusion of a two-day flight readiness review, “all the teams polled ‘go’ to launch and fly Artemis 2 around the moon, pending completion of some of the work before we roll out to the launch pad,” said Lori Glaze, associate administrator of Exploration Systems Development at NASA Headquarters.

SLS rocket hauled back to VAB for repairs

February 25, 2026 William Harwood

A 6.6-million-pound Apollo-era crawler-transporter rolled up the ramp to pad 38B on Tuesday and was positioned directly under the 3.5-million-pound Space Launch System rocket and its 11.3-million-pound mobile launch platform.

NASA waves off February launch for Artemis II moon mission; now targeting early March

February 3, 2026 William Harwood

Artemis 2 commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, in pre-flight medical quarantine at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, had hope to fly to Florida Tuesday to begin final preparations for launch. Instead, they will remain in Houston and rejoin family, friends and co-workers.

Countdown underway for critical moon rocket fueling test Monday

February 1, 2026 William Harwood

The countdown began Saturday evening and will continue through the start of a simulated launch window opening at 9 p.m. EST Monday. The test started two days late because of predicted arctic weather along Florida’s Space Coast.

Orion hatch ‘blemish’ delays launch day rehearsal for Artemis 2 astronauts

December 4, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The hatch issue caused NASA to modify its prelaunch preparations within the Vehicle Assembly Building but it continues to target an early February launch of the mission to carry four astronauts on a loop around the Moon.

Orion spacecraft arrives at VAB ahead of stacking for Artemis 2

October 17, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

This is the first spacecraft that will carry humans on a mission to the Moon since 1972. The Artemis 2 mission is scheduled for no earlier than Feb. 5, 2026.

Proposed 24 percent cut to NASA budget eliminates key Artemis architecture, climate research

May 3, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The budget proposal coming from the White House would also reduce spending on the International Space Station program by more than $500 million.

As it happened: NASA leadership announces delays to first Artemis crewed launch, Moon landing missions

December 5, 2024 Spaceflight Now

NASA announced new delays for the Artemis Moon program at a news conference at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Artemis 2 mission to circle the Moon is now scheduled for 2026 and the first lunar landing is delayed to 2027.