NASA’s Artemis II rocket is set to be rolled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building on March 20, meaning the April 1 launch date is still on the table.
The rocket's electrical harness for the flight termination system had to be replaced over the weekend, but engineers at Kennedy Space Center were able to complete closeout activities and complete preparations for the rollout.
It will take 12 hours for crews to roll out the rocket from the building to the launch pad. The Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System), along with the Orion spacecraft, will be rolled to Complex 39B to prepare to launch four astronauts around the Moon and back for the test flight.
Teams are now targeting no earlier than Friday, March 20, to roll Artemis II to the launchpad, maintaining the opportunity for an April 1 launch attempt. More info: https://t.co/JcznDQoyVh pic.twitter.com/V3aQNJiI7J
— NASA (@NASA) March 16, 2026
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, as well as CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, will be the first humans aboard Orion.
The Orion spacecraft, partially built in Huntsville by NASA and prime contractor Lockheed Martin, has already been around the moon once on an unmanned mission. The spacecraft has traveled farther than any other craft made for humans.
While teams are hoping for an early April launch, the weather will ultimately decide.
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