Artemis II is scheduled to roll out to the launch pad in under two weeks, with final integrated testing to follow. Bethany Stevens said the mission's initial launch window opens as soon as Feb. 6 and extends into April pending readiness checks. The crewed flight will send four astronauts around the Moon aboard Orion, building on the unmanned Artemis I flight in 2022 and paving the way for Artemis III and future Mars missions.
Artemis II Poised to Roll Out in Under Two Weeks — Launch Window Opens Feb. 6
NASA officials say final system testing could begin soon for Artemis II, the first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years to carry astronauts around the Moon and back.
NASA Press Secretary Bethany Stevens said on Friday that the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System stack are scheduled to roll out to the launch pad in under two weeks.
After transfer to the pad, teams will perform final integrated launch testing of the combined vehicle and ground systems. These tests provide critical data; if issues are discovered, the vehicle may be rolled back to the hangar for corrective work before a launch date is set.
"Once the vehicle reaches the launch pad, teams will begin final integrated launch testing of the entire system," Stevens said. "This testing provides critical data, and if needed, the vehicle may be rolled back into the hangar to address any findings."
Stevens said the mission's initial launch window opens as soon as Feb. 6, with a broader set of opportunities that extends into April. Mission managers will evaluate hardware readiness, test results and weather before naming a firm launch date.
Artemis II will carry a four-person crew on a circumlunar flight: NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The crew will orbit the Moon and return to Earth aboard NASA’s Orion capsule.
This flight follows Artemis I in 2022, which completed an unmanned Orion loop around the Moon and returned successfully. Both missions are stepping stones toward Artemis III, which aims to return American astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972 and to support longer-term human exploration of Mars.
The Artemis program has drawn hardware and technical support from the Tennessee Valley. In August 2025, Marshall Space Flight Center dispatched a critical interface element that sits between the Orion capsule and the Space Launch System rocket.
As final pad testing proceeds, teams will use the data to determine whether any corrective work is required before a definitive launch date is set. For the latest news and updates, visit WHNT.com.
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