NASA's Artemis II Completes Successful Countdown Test

The mission is now preparing for launch as early as March 6 with a crew of four astronauts.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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NASA's Artemis II mission completed a successful second wet dress rehearsal on Thursday, a key milestone as the agency prepares to send four astronauts around the moon and back. While the first attempt in February was cut short due to hydrogen leaks, the latest test went much smoother, with only a few minor glitches that engineers were able to address.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission will be the first crewed flight of NASA's new Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, marking America's return to sending astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit for the first time in over 50 years. The successful countdown test brings the mission one step closer to launch, which could happen as soon as March 6.

The details

During Thursday's test, NASA loaded over 700,000 gallons of liquid propellant into the rocket, demonstrated closing the Orion spacecraft's hatches, and completed two runs of the terminal count, the final phase of the launch countdown. Engineers monitored the liquid hydrogen fueling and were able to address a few minor issues, including a brief loss of ground communications and a voltage anomaly that briefly paused the countdown.

  • The second wet dress rehearsal took place on Thursday, February 20, 2026.
  • The first wet dress rehearsal attempt was on February 3, 2026, but was cut short due to hydrogen leaks.
  • The Artemis II crew will begin a two-week pre-flight quarantine on Friday, February 21, 2026.
  • The first potential launch date for the Artemis II mission is March 6, 2026.

The players

Jared Isaacman

NASA Administrator.

Reid Wiseman

Artemis II mission commander.

Victor Glover

Artemis II mission pilot.

Christina Koch

Artemis II mission specialist.

Jeremy Hansen

Artemis II mission specialist from the Canadian Space Agency.

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What they’re saying

“Major progress between WDR and WDR2. Proud of the @NASA team as this was a big step toward America's return to the lunar environment. We are going.”

— Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator (X)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This successful countdown test brings NASA one step closer to the historic Artemis II mission, which will send four astronauts around the moon and back, marking America's return to deep space exploration after over 50 years. The mission's launch, currently targeted for as early as March 6, will be a major milestone for the Artemis program and the future of human spaceflight.