NASA Completes Successful Artemis II Dress Rehearsal

The test brings the agency closer to launching its crewed mission around the Moon.

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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NASA successfully completed a critical "wet dress rehearsal" for the Artemis II mission, fueling the Space Launch System rocket and performing a launch countdown. The test identified a brief loss of ground communications, but the agency was able to switch to a backup method. The Artemis II crew is now preparing to enter quarantine ahead of the planned March launch window.

Why it matters

The successful dress rehearsal marks a major milestone for the Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo era. Artemis II will be the first crewed mission of the program, serving as a critical test of the spacecraft's systems before the Artemis III mission attempts a lunar landing.

The details

During the dress rehearsal, NASA loaded over 700,000 gallons of liquid propellant onto the Space Launch System rocket and performed two runs of the terminal launch countdown. The agency reported a brief loss of ground communications early in the fueling process, but was able to switch to a backup method. The Artemis II crew, which includes three veteran NASA astronauts and one Canadian astronaut, is now preparing to enter a 14-day quarantine period in Houston ahead of the planned March launch window.

  • The dress rehearsal was conducted on Thursday, February 20, 2026.
  • The Artemis II crew will enter quarantine late on Friday, February 21, 2026.

The players

Reid Wiseman

Crew commander for the Artemis II mission and a veteran NASA astronaut.

Victor Glover

Pilot for the Artemis II mission and a veteran NASA astronaut.

Christina Koch

Mission specialist for the Artemis II mission and a veteran NASA astronaut.

Jeremy Hansen

Canadian astronaut and first-time rocket rider who will join the Artemis II crew.

NASA

The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the government agency responsible for the Artemis program.

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What they’re saying

“With March as the potential launch window, teams will fully review data from the test, mitigate each issue, and return to testing ahead of setting an official target launch date.”

— NASA (myfoxzone.com)

What’s next

NASA will hold a news conference on Friday, February 21, 2026 at 11 a.m. Eastern to share more details about the successful dress rehearsal.

The takeaway

The successful completion of the Artemis II dress rehearsal is a critical step forward for NASA's Artemis program, bringing the agency one step closer to launching its first crewed mission around the Moon since the Apollo era. The upcoming quarantine period for the crew and continued testing of the spacecraft's systems will help ensure the mission's safety and success.