NASA has completed a successful rehearsal of the launch events for the upcoming Artemis II moon mission, which will involve Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen and NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Victor Glover. The rehearsal successfully counted down to just past T-minus 30 seconds twice, indicating that the rocket would have launched in less than a minute on the actual launch day.
Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator of the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, stated at a media conference that the countdown went smoothly, but there is still ongoing work to prepare the systems for launch. The earliest launch attempt is now scheduled for March 6 following a successful wet dress rehearsal.
The four astronauts will enter a two-week quarantine starting later Friday, with a flight readiness review planned at the end of the month. Previous rocket rehearsals have encountered issues, particularly related to fuel leaks.
During Thursday’s wet dress rehearsal for Artemis II, no hydrogen leaks above the safety threshold were detected, marking a significant milestone as the tanking process proceeded without interruption. The next launch opportunity for Artemis II is set for early March.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket will carry the astronauts for the Artemis II mission. The program faced delays in development, leading to postponements of the first launch of an uncrewed Orion capsule around the moon, known as Artemis I. Despite challenges, modifications were made, and Artemis I launched successfully in November 2022.
Artemis II will involve the four astronauts flying around the moon to test the Orion spacecraft and conduct experiments in preparation for the Artemis III mission, which aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface by 2028. A NASA media conference is scheduled for Friday at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the findings of the wet dress rehearsal.