NASA moves forward with ‘wet’ dress rehearsal Artemis II moon mission
A key test of NASA’s upcoming crewed flight to the Moon is scheduled to take place Saturday, the agency said
NASA’s Artemis II The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft are seen lit up at Launch Complex 39B on Jan. 17, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA is preparing to launch Artemis II, The agency’s highly anticipated first manned mission to the Moon in more than half a century. is an important step Artemis IIThe “wet” dress rehearsal – a major test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule that will carry the mission’s four astronauts. Engineers at Kennedy Space Center in Florida will attempt to refuel the rocket and simulate a countdown to launch by Jan. 31, the agency said in a statement. updated on monday.
If all goes smoothly, the agency’s plan to get four astronauts around the moon and back to Earth will move forward, and the launch date will fall in the first week of February.
The wet dress rehearsal will see NASA technicians load the spacecraft’s rocket with more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic fuel — specifically, liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen — before beginning the countdown to launch.
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However, testing may result in SLS and Orion being taken back from the launchpad for further manipulation. The same thing happened in 2022, when the uncrewed Artemis I mission leaked several liquid hydrogen fuels on the launchpad and during testing – a recurring problem that significantly delayed its launch.
separately Artemis IIWith the upcoming wet dress rehearsal, NASA is also testing the water systems on board Orion to make sure its water is suitable for drinking. “Preliminary samples found levels of total organic carbon higher than expected,” the agency said in the same update on Monday. Officials have also made adjustments to the emergency evacuation system at the pad. The system is composed of a series of gondolike baskets that are meant to carry the crew and launchpad personnel to safety if something goes wrong.
weather conditions can also affect time of Artemis IILaunch of. Temperatures at the space station reached the low 40s on Tuesday, but are expected to increase Going at the weekend. NASA said in the same statement the agency is taking steps to prepare for colder-than-normal temperatures.
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