Artemis II Sets Earliest Launch Window for Feb. 6, 2026 — NASA Lists Additional Dates Through April

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NASA’s Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft launches on the Artemis I flight test, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA has released candidate launch dates for Artemis II, with the earliest window on Feb. 6, 2026, and additional opportunities through April. The mission will carry four astronauts on an Orion lunar flyby to validate spacecraft systems in deep space; it will not land. Delays to Artemis II have pushed the first crewed Artemis lunar landing to no earlier than 2027, and pad operations at Kennedy Space Center are scheduled to begin no earlier than Jan. 17.

NASA has published a set of candidate launch dates for Artemis II, moving the agency one step closer to flying astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. The earliest available launch window is Feb. 6, 2026, with a dozen additional opportunities spanning February through April.

The Mission In Brief

Artemis II will carry four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft on a crewed lunar flyby; Orion is not scheduled to land. The primary objective is to validate the spacecraft and mission systems with humans aboard during a deep-space mission, paving the way for later Artemis missions that aim to return people to the lunar surface.

What We Know

NASA plans to launch Artemis II from Kennedy Space Center in Florida atop the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The uncrewed Artemis I flight in 2022 completed a successful lunar loop, but engineers noted significant heat-shield erosion on reentry that is being examined and mitigated for crewed flights.

Artemis II has been delayed several times, and those shifts have pushed the planned crewed Artemis landing mission to no earlier than 2027. During its flight path, the Artemis II crew is expected to travel roughly 4,700 miles beyond the lunar surface.

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (NASA/Eric Bordelon)

Candidate Launch Dates

NASA lists the following candidate dates for Artemis II. The earliest is Feb. 6, 2026:

Feb. 6, 2026
Feb. 7, 2026
Feb. 8, 2026
Feb. 10, 2026
Feb. 11, 2026
March 6, 2026
March 7, 2026
March 8, 2026
March 9, 2026
March 11, 2026
April 1, 2026
April 3, 2026
April 4, 2026
April 5, 2026
April 6, 2026
April 30, 2026

Schedule And Next Steps

Before any of these dates can be used, NASA will move the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center for final integration, systems testing and full launch rehearsals. That pad transfer and mating is scheduled to occur no earlier than Jan. 17.

“Through Artemis, NASA will explore more of the moon than ever before and create an enduring presence in deep space,” the agency said.

Why It Matters

Artemis II is a crucial crewed shakedown of Orion and SLS in deep space conditions. Success will build confidence for later Artemis missions that aim to land astronauts on the lunar surface and establish a sustained presence that supports science and future exploration.