March 6 Target Set for Artemis II as Canada Awaits Historic Mission

The launch timeline for Artemis II has shifted again, with NASA now identifying March 6 as the earliest possible launch date.

Canadian Space Agency astronauts Jeremy Hansen and Jenni Gibbons/ Credit: Canadian Space Agency

The update was confirmed by the Canadian Space Agency after technical reviews following a major prelaunch test.

NASA on Monday completed a wet dress rehearsal, a full systems test that involved loading cryogenic propellant into the Space Launch System rocket, closing out the Orion spacecraft at the launch pad, and safely draining the vehicle. While teams met many planned objectives over the two-day rehearsal, several challenges emerged , including liquid hydrogen leak. Engineers will now review the data and conduct a second rehearsal before attempting a launch. If conditions align, the March 6 launch window will open at 8:29 p.m. ET and remain open for two hours.

With the conclusion of the wet dress rehearsal today, we are moving off the February launch window and targeting March for the earliest possible launch of Artemis II.

With more than three years between SLS launches, we fully anticipated encountering challenges. That is precisely…

— NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (@NASAAdmin) February 3, 2026

The delay also affects crew preparations. Jeremy Hansen and his Artemis II crewmates will be released from quarantine, which began January 23 in Houston, and will no longer travel to Kennedy Space Center as previously planned. The crew is expected to re-enter quarantine about two weeks ahead of the next launch attempt.

Artemis II is a key step in the wider Artemis campaign, which aims to establish a sustained human presence on and around the Moon. The mission will be the first crewed flight of the Orion spacecraft and the first human mission toward the Moon since 1972. It will be followed by Artemis III, currently targeted for mid-2027, which is expected to land astronauts on the lunar surface. Together, the missions lay the groundwork for Gateway, future lunar operations, and eventual journeys to Mars.