NASA has confirmed that the Artemis 2 mission is still on track for an early April launch, with astronauts set to journey around the Moon for the first time in over 50 years if the rocket lifts off on April 1st.
Initially planned for earlier this month, the launch was delayed due to a helium leak, leading to the rocket’s return to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Cape Canaveral for necessary repairs.
NASA has now resolved the issue, and Artemis 2 is scheduled to return to the Florida launch pad on March 19th in preparation for takeoff. The crew of the rocket includes astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen.
These astronauts will make history as the first humans to fly aboard the Space Launch System and the Orion spacecraft. Their 10-day mission will involve traveling around the lunar far side before returning home. John Honeycutt, chair of the Artemis 2 Mission Management Team, praised the team for their exceptional work and emphasized the importance of thorough risk assessment for a successful mission.