When is Artemis 2 lifting off? Launch date window, times, what to know
Update: NASA announced it has postponed the wet dress rehearsal to no earlier than 9 p.m. ET Monday, Feb. 2 due to cold weather in Florida. The delay means the first potential launch opportunity for Artemis 2 is now Sunday, Feb. 8.
The first human spaceflight to the moon in more than 50 years could be days away .
But first, NASA's rocket that will propel a crew of four astronauts toward the moon has to ace a crucial fueling test. Once the prelaunch trial is completed, we should have a better idea of just when in the weeks ahead a mission known as Artemis 2 could get off the ground from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The second flight under NASA's multibillion-dollar lunar program , Artemis 2 will send three Americans and one Canadian on a 10-day trip around the moon. Though the crew won't be landing, their mission is vital in setting the stage for humans to return to the moon in the years ahead.
Here's everything to know about a launch date for the Artemis 2 mission.
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When is NASA's Artemis 2 rocket launch date?
NASA has not yet announced an official target launch date for Artemis 2. It could be several dates between Feb. 6 and April 6 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
NASA to conduct fueling test, review before announcing mission date
Committing to a launch date won't happen until NASA conducts a preflight test known as a wet dress rehearsal. Mission engineers also must complete an analysis known as a flight readiness review in which they assess a variety of factors, including the status of the spacecraft.
The prelaunch test, which could take place as early as Saturday, Jan. 31, involves a mock launch countdown and fueling the towering Space Launch System rocket with 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellants that are later drained.
Standing at 322 feet, the SLS, built by Boeing and Northrop Grumman, is one of the largest active rockets in the world . Ahead of the test, ground teams have continued to analyze and prepare for launch the Orion capsule the astronauts will be aboard and the rocket, both of which were integrated and rolled out to the launch pad Jan. 17 .
When are the Artemis 2 launch windows? What NASA says
Earlier in January , NASA identified three launch periods between Feb. 6 and April 6 during which the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket could lift off on a precise orbital trajectory to meet mission objectives while keeping the crew safe. Because mission managers have to account for the moon's location in its orbit of Earth, the result is a week of launch opportunities, followed by three weeks with none.
Here's a look at NASA's three launch periods , which include all possible dates for Artemis 2 to get off the ground.
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Launch period Jan. 31-Feb. 14
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Launch opportunities Feb. 6-8 and Feb. 10-11
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Launch period Feb. 28-March 13
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Launch opportunities March 6-9 and March 11
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Launch period March 27-April 10
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Launch opportunities April 1 and April 3-6
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Who will be on the Artemis 2 mission? Astronauts enter quarantine
In the meantime, the crew of Artemis 2 – NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman , Victor Glover and Christina Koch , and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen – have entered quarantine at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. They are set to fly to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida about six days ahead of launch.
Quarantining is protocol before any crewed spaceflight to ensure astronauts aren't exposed to illnesses that could delay a mission.
Artemis 2 won't land on the moon but will circle it
The astronauts won't be landing but will circle the moon on a 10-day trip to test systems and hardware for future expeditions to the surface. The Orion capsule the crew will pilot – built by Lockheed Martin – is due to travel about 4,700 miles beyond the far side of the moon, taking its passengers the farthest humans have ever ventured in space before returning to Earth.
The mission would come more than three years after Artemis 1 launched Nov. 16, 2022, from the Kennedy Space Center, sending the Orion capsule on a moon-orbiting mission without a crew in the first test of the vehicle.
A moon landing would take place during Artemis 3, which President Donald Trump has signaled he wants to see happen before the end of his second term.
Why is NASA interested in the moon? What to know about Artemis
NASA's Artemis program is the agency's ambitious campaign to return Americans to the surface of the moon for the first time since the Apollo era came to an end in 1972 .
In the years ahead , NASA's Artemis program aims to launch a series of crewed missions to establish a continuous human presence on the moon with a lunar settlement on the south pole . That's where water ice thought to be abundant in the region could be extracted and used for drinking , breathing and as a source of hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel.
From there, the lunar settlement would serve as a base of operations for the first crewed missions to Mars .
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When is Artemis 2 rocket launch? NASA plans fueling test before liftoff
