Zoom
28//2/26
Artemis II Update 20/3/26 - Back to the launchpad
All problems that were detected have now been fixed! The SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft will start its slow 11 hour journey back to the launchpad tonight. Everything is fixed and no more major tests are needed. The astronauts are already back in quarantine and we’re looking towards the next potential launch window which includes…
Wednesday 1st April, 6.24pm / 11.24pm in UK
Thursday 2nd April 7.22pm / 12.22am in UK
Friday 3rd April 8pm / 1am in UK
Saturday 4th April 8.53pm / 1.53am in UK
Sunday 5th April 9.40pm / 2.40am in UK
Monday 6th April 10.36pm / 3.36am in UK
Thursday 30th April 6.06pm / 11.06pm in UK
These dates are chosen due to the Moon being in the right place in its orbit and predicted weather conditions on Earth.
Artemis Lunar Program Update 28/2/26
NASA have announced major changes to the Artemis Lunar Program and what will happen after the Artemis II mission.
Originally the plan was for Artemis II to fly around the Moon and then attempt a lunar landing with Artemis III in 2028.
NASA have now changed Artemis III to launch in 2027 but it will stay much closer to home. The plan is that the astronauts on that mission will stay in Earth’s orbit and they will be testing equipment, spacesuits and systems, such as docking with a lunar lander.
Then in 2028 there will hopefully be one, if not two, Moon landings with missions now named Artemis IV and Artemis V.
Artemis II Update 26/2/26 - Roll Back Completed
The SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft have slowly and carefully been rolled back from the launchpad back the huge building called the VAB, Vehicle Assembly Building. A short journey that took over ten hours! Now back in the VAB it will be inspected and hopefully repaired. If this can be done quickly enough hopefully it can then be rolled back to the launchpad and maybe still be ready for the April launch window.
Artemis II Update 21/2/26 - Problem Detected
Unfortunately over night a problem has been detected, which will most likely delay the launch again.
After a successful wet dress rehearsal unfortunately a problem was discovered. An interrupted flow of helium in the upper stage of the rocket was detected. This means the launch cannot take place until this is fixed.
The upper stage uses helium to make sure the stage’s engine works correctly and to pressurise the fuel tanks used for the launch. This all worked correctly during the wet dress rehearsals, but afterwards they couldn’t control the flow of helium correctly
It’s very likely the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft will have to be rolled back to the VAB, the Vehicle Assembly Building. A process that takes almost a whole day. Then the problem will have to fixed and then everything will have to be rolled carefully back to the launchpad again.
I assume there would then have to be another wet dress rehearsal. The next possible launch window is now the beginning of April.
Artemis II Update 20/2/26 - 2nd Wet Dress Rehearsal
The 2nd Wet Dress Rehearsal has taken place and this time has been completed successfully!
The 50 hour countdown was fully completed this time and the fuel was successfully added with no leaks detected. Although the rehearsal was paused at one stage due to a ‘booster avionics system voltage anomaly’ it was then restarted.
The wet dress rehearsal was ended at T minus 29 seconds before ‘launch’.
This means the next potential launch date, which is the 6th March, could be a real possibility. After this successful rehearsal the Artemis II crew will be preparing to enter a 14 day quarantine ahead of the next launch window.
Now we just have to hope the weather allows the launch to take place!
Artemis II Update 3/2/26 - 1st Wet Dress Rehearsal
For the Artemis II mission to get the go ahead to launch, everything has to be tested to ensure the launch is as safe as possible. The wet dress rehearsal, a major part of the preparations getting the SLS rocket ready to launch, has been completed over the last two days. Unfortunately it wasn’t 100% completed smoothly, so the launch date has now been pushed back until March.
There were several ‘challenges’ during the wet dress rehearsal. The main one reported was a liquid hydrogen leak. There were also issues with audio communications dropping out. This meant the rehearsal was stopped before being completed. Data needs to be looked at from this and a second wet dress rehearsal now will need to be completed for the launch to safely go ahead.
The next possible launch dates are…
6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 11th March
1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th April
Weather conditions have to be ‘just right’ for the launch to go ahead. These dates are based on the weather being ok for the launch to go ahead. Factors considered are how cold or windy it might be and if there is any rain forecast. Clouds, lightning and solar activity are also factors.
What is a wet dress rehearsal?
A wet dress rehearsal is a full launch practice. It is used to prove everything is 100% ready and safe for launch.
Everyone is positioned and ready. The rocket is powered up and all the support systems are online, just like they would be on the actual launch. Everything is tested.
The weather is reviewed and it is decided whether that is a factor and if it is still safe to go ahead. The rocket is then slowly chilled so it doesn’t crack or break in any way when the fuel is added.
Then millions of litres of frozen fuel is added. It is a combination of 2 million litres of liquid oxygen and 750 million litres of liquid hydrogen. Lots of checks are completed to ensure there are no leaks or pressure issues.
Then at 25 minutes before ‘launch’ the director asks every single team if they are ”go for launch”. Everyone says ”go” if they believe they are ready to proceed to ‘launch’. Everyone has to agree!
10 minutes before the ‘launch’ an automated system then takes over. The engines and computers enter launch mode. Then they enter terminal countdown. But the rocket doesn’t actually take off!
At the end of the wet dress rehearsal the fuel is drained. All data is reviewed carefully and an official launch date is confirmed. Or if there are any issues at all these will need to be fixed and another wet dress rehearsal will take place.
Find out about more about the mission...
Photos and illustrations in this blog post are Whizzbots, Shutterstock and Public Domain Images.