NASA is tracking an unusually cold spell in Florida that could complicate the Artemis 2 launch, a 10-day crewed lunar flyby carrying three Americans and one Canadian. Cape Canaveral forecasts show temperatures dipping into the 20s, and NASA prohibits launches when ambient readings are between 38°F and 49°F. The SLS launch window runs Feb. 6–Apr. 6, pending a wet dress rehearsal (~700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellant) and a flight readiness review; the crew entered quarantine on Jan. 23.
Could Cold Florida Weather Push Back Artemis 2 Launch? NASA Watches Forecast
Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander captures its shadow on the moon's surface after completing a successful landing March 2 near a volcanic feature on the moon called Mons Latreille. The vehicle became the first of two landers manufactured by a U.S. company to reach the moon is 2025 in crucial missions to lay the groundwork for NASA to return humans to the lunar surface in the years ahead.
NASA is closely monitoring an unusually cold spell in Florida that could affect the planned Artemis 2 launch. The mission will send three American astronauts and one Canadian on a roughly 10-day crewed flyby of the moon to test systems and procedures needed for future lunar surface missions.
Weather And The Launch Window
Forecasters expect temperatures at Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center to dip into the 20s over the weekend, with daytime highs hovering near the 50s before rebounding into the 60s. Under NASA's Artemis 2 weather constraints, launches are restricted when ambient temperatures fall between 38°F and 49°F — a range that could complicate operations if site conditions fall into that band.
Prelaunch Tests And Timing
The Space Launch System (SLS) carrying the Orion capsule is scheduled to lift off as early as Feb. 6 or as late as April 6. NASA will announce an official target date only after completing a wet dress rehearsal — a full-length mock countdown that includes fueling the rocket with about 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellants — and a formal flight readiness review.
"With cold weather sweeping the country and lower than normal temperatures expected in Florida, technicians are taking steps to ensure environmental control systems keeping Orion and SLS elements at the proper conditions are prepared for the cold," NASA said in a recent blog post.
Crew, Mission Profile And Purpose
The Artemis 2 crew — NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, joined by Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen — entered quarantine on Jan. 23, following standard preflight protocol to minimize illness risk. The flight will not include a lunar landing; instead, the crew will loop around the moon on a mission designed to validate spacecraft systems, communications and operational procedures for future surface missions.
The Lockheed Martin-built Orion capsule is expected to travel roughly 4,700 miles beyond the far side of the moon, taking the astronauts farther from Earth than any humans have gone before returning them safely home. Artemis 2 builds on the uncrewed Artemis 1 test flight (Nov. 16, 2022) and paves the way toward a planned lunar landing on Artemis 3.
Why This Matters
Cold-weather constraints affect more than scheduling: environmental controls, propellant handling and ground operations all must meet strict temperature limits to protect hardware and crew. Artemis is NASA's multi-mission effort to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon — including a prospective settlement near the lunar south pole where water ice could support life support and fuel production — and to use that experience as a stepping stone to Mars.
Next Steps: Mission teams will complete the wet dress rehearsal and the flight readiness review, adjust environmental controls as needed, and then announce a formal launch date when conditions and checks are satisfactory.
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