When is Nasa's Moon mission launch and what will Artemis do?

When is Nasa's Moon mission launch and what will Artemis do? 1 day ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Pallab Ghosh , Science Correspondent and Alison Francis , Senior Science Journalist NASA Artemis II Crew: left, Christina Koch; back, Victor Glover (pilot); front, Reid Wiseman (commander); right, Jeremy Hansen Nasa is aiming for an early April launch for the first crewed mission around the Moon in more than 50 years. The Artemis II mission, which will last about 10 days, will take its astronauts further into space than anyone has been before. It aims to set the stage for an eventual human landing on the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s. When will Artemis II launch? Nasa's next possible dates are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 30 April 2026. In December 2025, the space agency set a deadline to launch Artemis II before the end of that month. A potential February launch was ruled out after a pre‑flight test - known as a wet dress rehearsal - was cut short when hydrogen rocket fuel leaked from a connection linking the launch tower to the rocket. A March launch was also ruled out after a helium leak was discovered. Beyond resolving the technical issues, mission planners also have to wait until the Moon is in the right part of its orbit, so launch windows are timed accordingly. …