NASA ran a full 5.5‑hour countdown dress rehearsal for Artemis II, simulating final launch‑day procedures with four astronauts suiting up and boarding Orion while the rocket remained in the Vehicle Assembly Building. Artemis II is set for early 2026 and will perform a crewed lunar flyby to test the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft. Artemis III is planned as the next crewed lunar landing, currently targeted for mid‑2027, but faces schedule risk because a lander has not yet been confirmed and SpaceX's Starship development has slipped. NASA reopened the lander competition in October and warns that technical progress and funding will determine the final schedule.
Artemis II Cleared For Early‑2026 Launch After Full Countdown Dress Rehearsal
The Artemis II crew – (L-R) pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Jeremy Hansen of CSA (Canadian Space Agency), commander Reid Wiseman and mission specialist Christina Koch – rehearse a walkout from the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on December 20, 2025 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. - Joe Raedle/Getty Images
NASA completed a full countdown dress rehearsal for Artemis II over the weekend, advancing preparations for the agency's next crewed trip to lunar vicinity. The rehearsal simulated the final 5.5 hours of launch day at Kennedy Space Center, including crew suiting and boarding procedures, though the rocket remained inside the Vehicle Assembly Building rather than being rolled to the launch pad.
Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen donned pressure suits and entered the Orion crew capsule to run through the timeline and procedures of an actual launch. The exercise was intended to validate ground and flight‑control processes, mission timing and crew interfaces in realistic conditions.
NASA's Vehicle Assembly building is seen as the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are being prepared to launch from Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on June 10, 2025, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. - Joe Raedle/Getty Images
"This test marks the passage of a key milestone on America's journey to the launchpad. We have many more to go, but I'm encouraged by the expertise and precision demonstrated by our teams as we continue NASA's ambitious lunar exploration legacy," said NASA officials in a release.
Artemis II is scheduled for early 2026 and will fly four astronauts on a lunar flyby to test the Space Launch System (SLS) heavy rocket and the Orion spacecraft in a crewed environment. The mission will not land on the Moon but will validate systems and operations needed for subsequent missions.
Artemis III is planned as NASA's next crewed lunar landing, currently targeted for mid‑2027. However, that timeline faces risk because there is not yet a confirmed lunar lander ready for the mission. SpaceX's Starship‑based lander has experienced schedule slippage, and in October NASA reopened competition for the Artemis lander contract to ensure alternatives are available.
The 2020 executive directive that urged a crewed lunar landing by 2028 did not include dedicated funding, which limits its ability to guarantee a specific schedule. NASA officials emphasize that technical milestones, contractor progress and funding will all influence the final timeline for Artemis II, Artemis III and follow‑on missions as the agency works to return humans to lunar vicinity and, eventually, the surface.
