NASA has announced a new target date of 6 March to proceed with the Artemis 2 mission, sending a spacecraft carrying astronauts to orbit the Moon after successfully completing the main rocket fueling and countdown rehearsal.
On 20 February 2026, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that 6 March will be the launch date for the "Artemis 2" mission, which will send four astronauts to orbit around the far side of the Moon. This will be the first time humans travel near the Moon since 1972.
This date announcement follows NASA's successful completion of the main rocket fueling test and countdown simulation (Wet Dress Rehearsal) last Thursday, a crucial step before the actual launch.
The mission will use the giant 98-meter-tall Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, with the crew aboard the Orion capsule mounted on top of the rocket. The four crew members—three American astronauts and one Canadian—will enter quarantine starting late next Friday to minimize health risks before launch.
Artemis 2 is a continuation of the earlier Artemis program. The first mission in November 2022 was an uncrewed test and was successful. Artemis 2 is expected to take about 10 days to orbit around the far side of the Moon before returning to Earth, marking a major step toward future plans to send humans back to the lunar surface.