Artemis II’s four‑person crew completed a full Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test at Kennedy Space Center on Dec. 20, rehearsing boarding and emergency procedures for the Orion spacecraft. NASA plans a wet dress rehearsal — a fully fueled countdown practice — before attempting the mission’s tentative February launch window for a 10‑day lunar flyaround. The Artemis program is still addressing a heat‑shield anomaly discovered during Artemis I’s 2022 flight. Officials say Artemis II will be cleared to depart the pad no later than April if additional delays occur.
Artemis II Crew Completes Full Launch-Day Dress Rehearsal at Kennedy Space Center
The Artemis II astronaut crew completed a full launch‑day terminal countdown demonstration at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Dec. 20, rehearsing boarding procedures and emergency drills as mission teams prepare for a planned 10‑day lunar flyaround.
Countdown Drill and Crew Activities
Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen emerged from the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building in their bright orange launch suits, waved to media and staff, and rode the Artemis II transport van to the rehearsal. The Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) walked the team through the full launch‑day flow up to boarding the Orion crew module atop NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), which remains in the Vehicle Assembly Building.
What the Test Covered
The rehearsal included standard launch‑day procedures such as communications checks, crew ingress to Orion, ground‑control coordination and practice of the emergency egress system. It is a final, hands‑on verification of processes the astronauts and ground teams will follow on the actual day of launch.
Next Steps: Wet Dress Rehearsal and Schedule
NASA plans to roll the SLS to Pad 39B within the coming weeks for a wet dress rehearsal — a fully fueled countdown practice that verifies propellant systems, tanking operations, weather constraints and other critical launch checks. Artemis II remains tentatively targeted for a February launch window for its approximately 10‑day lunar flyaround, with officials saying the mission would be cleared to leave the pad no later than April if scheduling changes are required.
Background and Program Status
Artemis II follows the uncrewed Artemis I mission, the lone SLS/Orion flight to date in late 2022. During that mission, teams identified a heat‑shield anomaly during reentry that required investigation by NASA and Lockheed Martin and contributed to delays for Artemis II while engineering reviews and corrective actions took place.
Policy Context
The countdown demonstration occurred amid reported changes in agency leadership and new policy direction: the article notes that Jared Isaacman took the oath as NASA’s next administrator and that an executive order titled "Ensuring American Space Superiority" was issued directing a U.S. crewed lunar return by 2028 and work toward a sustained lunar return and outpost by 2030. Those directives, if enacted, would shape timelines and priorities for Artemis missions and related technology efforts, including plans for nuclear power systems to support sustained lunar operations.
Brooke Edwards of Florida Today contributed reporting. She can be reached at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.
