The Artemis II mission is moving ahead as NASA starts the countdown to its second wet dress rehearsal, with tanking day scheduled for February 19, 2026. In this rehearsal, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket will be filled with fuel to check that both the spacecraft and launch systems are working correctly. This helps engineers make sure everything is safe before the real launch.
During the first wet dress rehearsal, engineers discovered a liquid hydrogen leak, which caused NASA to delay the launch from February to March. Despite this delay, NASA is eager to send the Orion spacecraft toward the Moon soon.
If successful, Artemis II will be a historic mission. Four astronauts will orbit the Moon — the first humans to do this in 54 years. This mission is an important step in bringing humans back to the Moon and preparing for future deep-space exploration.