The Artemis 2 crew has arrived at Kennedy Space Center, and NASA is optimistic about the upcoming launch, citing an 80% chance of favorable weather. After addressing technical challenges and completing readiness reviews, the team is proceeding towards a Wednesday lift-off, aiming to return humanity to the moon after 53 years.
Artemis 2 crew members, from left, Mission Spc. Jeremy Hansen, of Canada, Mission Spc. Christina Koch, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover pose for a photo after the crew's arrival at the Kennedy Space Center Friday, March 27, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
rocket and crew in place at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and NASA saying Monday that the forecast shows an 80% chance of favorable weather conditions.Earlier launches were scrubbed because of technical problems. For example, a "wet dress rehearsal," a prelaunch test to fuel the rocket, was terminated a couple of months ago because of a liquid hydrogen “What we've heard from NASA is that they're all good to go, barring the weather,” said Kenny Evans, a fellow in science, technology and innovation policy at Rice University. “So, they seem optimistic, which makes me optimistic. I think they've solved their technical challenges on the ground in the interim.” Amit Kshatriya, NASA’s associate administrator, said at a Monday evening news conference that they had just wrapped up a mission management team review and the team “pulled go” to proceed towards a Wednesday lift-off. Kshatriya said they walked through the usual readiness items – vehicle status, ground systems, flight hardware, the integrated launch operations timeline, and more – and everything continued to look good for launch. “I have complete confidence in this team and the NASA workforce,” Kshatriya said. “For everybody else, 53 years ago, humanity left the moon and did not return. Now we go back.” Emily Nelson, the chief flight director, said the crew and mission control team have spent two years working toward this day. And Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, the launch director, ticked off all the prep work that had been done to reach the point of launch countdown operations.said that Artemis II is “historic for many reasons,” marking the first time humans will travel to the moon’s vicinity in decades and demonstrating that NASA can safely send astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit and bring them home.When Artemis II astronauts blast off, they’ll begin a 10-day mission that will take them the farthest humans have been from Earth since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Evans said Artemis II serves several broader purposes, including technical validation of the key systems needed for future missions.And it’s a way to restore public excitement and confidence in NASA’s human spaceflight program.NASA Artemis II is rolled from the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center on March 20, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The crew includes three Americans and one Canadian: mission commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. They’ll test critical spacecraft systems in Earth’s orbit, such as manual piloting capabilities and communication and navigation systems, before continuing on a flyby around the far side of the moon. The astronauts will travel about 4,600 miles beyond the far side of the moon, with the moon about the size of a basketball held at arm’s length from the crew’s vantage point aboard the Orion spacecraft and Earth about 250,000 miles in the background, according to NASA. An artist's concept depicts the nominal trajectory for NASA’s Artemis II test flight, an approximately 10-day mission that will send four astronauts around the Moon and back. And NASA said they’ll take a fuel-efficient “free return” trajectory home, leveraging the Earth-moon gravity field before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.BULVERDE, Texas - Hill College Prep High School has been put on lockdown.Principal Julie Wiley said in the alert that local law enforcement is on campus. The building is also secure and the threat is contained.Check baSAN ANTONIO — Authorities are responding to a reported shooting on the South Side.First responders were called around 9:30 p.m. to the 1700 block of Southeast MThe Bexar County Sheriff’s Office needs your help locating a 14-year-old girl missing since Sunday afternoon.SAN ANTONIO - A 20-year-old man who was shot by a San Antonio Police officer when he was a teenager is expected to appear in court today for a bond hearing.However, it’s tied to a separate case.Today’s hearing will dSAN ANTONIO - Police say they shut down an illegal gambling operation on the city’s East Side, seizing dozens of slot machines in a bust the department called a
Artemis 2 NASA Launch Moon Kennedy Space Center
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
NASA Unveils Artemis Crew: A Diverse Team Eyes Lunar ReturnNASA's Artemis program plans to return to the moon, featuring a diverse crew including a woman, a person of color, and a Canadian, marking a shift from the Apollo era. This mission will take them further into space than ever before, with a focus on preparing for future lunar missions and a moon base.
Read more »
NASA Prepares Artemis 2 Crew with a Bathroom for Lunar OrbitNASA's Artemis 2 mission to the moon will include a proper bathroom for the astronauts, a significant upgrade from the Artemis 1 mission. This offers the crew some privacy during their week-and-a-half journey around the moon, which highlights the constraints of space travel.
Read more »
Hear from the Artemis II crew making historyBasic
Read more »
Solar Activity Could Threaten the Artemis CrewIn his blockbuster 1982 novel
Read more »
Artemis II Crew Set to Embark on Historic Moon MissionThe Artemis II crew, including the mission specialist Christina Koch and commander Reid Wiseman, are preparing for a 10-day mission to orbit the Moon. The launch is planned to happen in early April, marking the first crewed lunar mission since 1972 and including the first woman, person of color, and non-American to orbit the moon. The crew will test key spacecraft systems during Earth orbit before their journey.
Read more »
Artemis II Crew Arrives at Launch Site, Shares Moon MascotThe four astronauts set to fly around the Moon on NASA’s Artemis II test flight arrived at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Friday, March 27.
Read more »