NASA eyes March 6 earliest date for Artemis II lunar launch after key test success

NASA on Friday set March 6 as the earliest possible launch date for Artemis II, the first crewed flyby mission to the moon in more than 50 years. The mission will send four astronauts on a journey around the moon and back as part of its Artemis program, which is set to return humans to lunar exploration.

The announcement came after the completion of a key test rehearsal on Thursday for the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The nearly 50-hour wet dress rehearsal simulated the full launch countdown, including loading more than 730,000 gallons of liquid propellant and conducting extensive systems checks under real launch-day conditions.

Unlike an earlier attempt this month that was cut short by a liquid hydrogen leak, this rehearsal proceeded without major fueling issues. Teams closely monitored hydrogen operations, which had posed challenges before. Hydrogen gas concentrations remained within allowable limits, giving engineers confidence in new seals installed in an interface used to route fuel to the rocket.

NASA said a temporary loss of ground communications occurred early in fueling operations at the Launch Control Center. Operators switched to backup communication systems to maintain safe propellant loading before normal communications were restored. Engineers later identified the equipment responsible for the disruption.

"When we did the test three weeks ago, the hardware was talking to us, so we listened," said John Honeycutt, chair of the Artemis II Mission Management Team. "The remediation activities that we took turned out really well."

Program managers were elated that the rehearsal went smoothly, but said remaining work ahead could still push the launch date further into NASA's March launch window.

"I felt like last night was a big step in us earning our right to fly. So, felt really good, very proud of the team," said NASA launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson.

Remaining work includes testing the rocket's flight termination system and conducting a sweeping Flight Readiness Review, a day-long meeting of agency management during which they effectively double-check all rocket hardware and mission procedures before liftoff.

Building on the Artemis II flight test, NASA planned the Artemis III mission by 2028, which will land four astronauts on the lunar surface. Over roughly 30 days, the Artemis III crew will travel to lunar orbit, where two astronauts are expected to descend near the moon's South Pole and spend about a week conducting scientific research before rejoining their crewmates in orbit for the return trip to Earth.

(With input from agencies)