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NASA Eyes Thursday Rollout for Artemis II After Flight-Termination Harness Replaced

A March 19–20 trek to Pad 39B would preserve an April 1 launch opportunity pending pad checks and weather.

Overview

  • Engineers swapped an electrical harness on the core stage’s flight termination system during closeout work, with preparations now nearing completion.
  • Managers plan to set the rollout start time on Wednesday, March 18, with the move possible on Thursday, March 19, or Friday, March 20.
  • The SLS/Orion stack’s trip from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B is expected to take up to 12 hours and will be livestreamed by NASA.
  • Launch opportunities begin as early as Wednesday, April 1, with additional windows through April 6 and April 30, contingent on weather and final pad testing.
  • A helium-flow fault found during the February 21 wet dress rehearsal was traced to a dislodged seal and fixed; NASA does not plan another rehearsal and will fully tank on launch day.