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yesterday

Artemis II Rolls Back to Pad 39B as NASA Targets Early April Launch

The return follows helium-line repairs, positioning teams for final checks ahead of a narrow April 1–6 launch window.

Image
The Orion spacecraft sits on top of the NASA Artemis II rocket in the Vehicle Assembly Building before rollout to pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Thursday, March 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
The NASA Artemis II rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard leaves the Vehicle Assembly Building moving slowly to pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

Overview

  • The SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft reached Launch Pad 39B on Friday after an overnight 4-mile rollout that started late due to high winds, with pad hookups and closeouts now underway.
  • Launch opportunities open April 1 at 6:24 p.m. ET with options through April 6, and a slip past this window would delay the flight by several weeks.
  • Engineers fixed interrupted helium flow to the upper stage by reseating seals in a quick-disconnect fitting and replaced multiple batteries during the Vehicle Assembly Building stay.
  • NASA does not plan another wet dress rehearsal, stating the next propellant loading will be for liftoff on a roughly 10-day lunar flyby mission.
  • Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen are in preflight quarantine, as NASA and NOAA prepare real-time space-weather monitoring with Orion’s radiation sensors and crew dosimeters.