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NASA has targeted March 6 as the earliest possible launch date for Artemis 2, marking a historic return to crewed lunar missions after more than half a century.
The announcement, made by senior official Lori Glaze on Friday, follows a series of rigorous tests designed to ensure the safety of the four-person crew.
While the date is now on the calendar, NASA cautioned that several milestones—including final pad work and a formal flight readiness review—must be cleared before the massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is cleared for liftoff.
The move toward a March launch follows a successful “wet dress rehearsal” conducted this past Thursday at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
During this critical test, engineers filled the rocket’s tanks with propellant and practised the complex countdown manoeuvres under real-world conditions, stopping the clock at T-29 seconds as planned.
This successful run was a relief for the agency after a technical setback in early February, involving a liquid hydrogen leak, which forced NASA to scrub an earlier rehearsal and abandon hopes of a February launch.
The Artemis 2 mission will carry three American astronauts and one Canadian on a high-stakes flyby of the Moon, testing the life-support systems of the Orion spacecraft in deep space.
As the first crewed mission of the Artemis programme, it serves as the ultimate “stress test” before NASA attempts to land humans on the lunar surface in later missions.
Glaze emphasised that while the team is in a “very good position,” the agency will remain data-driven, ensuring all dress rehearsal analyses are fully vetted before the final green light is given.
This mission represents a pivotal moment for international space collaboration and the future of lunar exploration.
If the March 6 window is met, it will be the first time humans have ventured toward the Moon since the conclusion of the Apollo programme in 1972.
For now, all eyes are on the launchpad at Kennedy Space Centre as engineers work through the final checklist to ensure the SLS rocket and its crew are ready for their record-breaking journey.
