Nasa aims to send astronauts to the moon in March after successful test
NASA aims to launch four astronauts on a lunar fly-around as soon as March 6, 2026.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced that the agency is targeting a March 2026 launch for the Artemis II mission, following a successful second fuelling test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. This test, completed without the significant hydrogen leaks that plagued the first rehearsal earlier in February, represents 'major progress.' The mission will send four astronauts—three Americans and one Canadian—on a lunar fly-around. The crew is preparing to enter a mandatory two-week health quarantine, with a launch window opening as soon as March 6 from Florida's Kennedy Space Center. NASA has a narrow five-day launch window in March before having to stand down until April.
- NASA successfully completed a critical fuelling test for the SLS rocket, resolving previous hydrogen leak issues.
- The Artemis II mission, a crewed lunar fly-around, is now targeting a launch as early as March 6, 2026.
- The crew of four astronauts will enter quarantine, with only a five-day launch window available in March.
Why It Matters
This marks the first crewed mission to the moon in over 50 years, a critical step in NASA's Artemis program for lunar exploration.