NASA Moves Moon Rocket Back to Launch Pad for April Liftoff

The Space Launch System rocket will attempt to launch four astronauts on a lunar flyby mission next month.

Mar. 20, 2026 at 5:18pm

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For the second time this year, NASA has moved its massive Space Launch System moon rocket from the hangar out to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If all goes well, the rocket could blast off as early as April 1 with four astronauts on board for a lunar flyby mission.

Why it matters

This mission marks the next major step in NASA's Artemis program to return humans to the moon. The last time astronauts traveled to the lunar surface was during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, so this flight will be a historic milestone in reestablishing a human presence around the Earth's natural satellite.

The details

The 322-foot-tall rocket was transported 4 miles from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pad overnight, a process that took around 12 hours. The crew of three Americans and one Canadian will orbit the moon without landing, before returning directly to Earth. The mission was delayed by two months due to issues with hydrogen fuel leaks and clogged helium lines, which required the rocket to be rolled back to the assembly building for repairs.

  • The Space Launch System rocket began its trek to the launch pad in the middle of the night on March 20, 2026.
  • If all goes well, the rocket could blast off as early as April 1, 2026.
  • The last time astronauts traveled to the lunar surface was during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

The players

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.

Artemis Program

NASA's program to return humans to the moon, with the goal of establishing a sustainable presence on and around the lunar surface.

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What’s next

If the latest repairs work and everything else goes NASA's way, the Space Launch System could blast off as early as April 1 from Florida's Kennedy Space Center. The Artemis II crew went into quarantine this week in Houston.

The takeaway

This mission marks a significant milestone in NASA's Artemis program, as the agency works to reestablish a human presence around the moon for the first time since the Apollo era. The successful launch of this lunar flyby mission will pave the way for future Artemis missions, including the goal of landing astronauts on the lunar surface by 2028.