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yesterday

NASA Fuels Artemis II Moon Rocket in Critical Wet Dress Rehearsal

NASA will use the test data to decide if the mission is ready to attempt a Feb. 8 liftoff.

Image
The NASA Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket with the Orion spacecraft is seen at Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
The integrated SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft for Artemis 2 are pictured at Kennedy Space Center’s Pad 39B on Jan. 29, 2026, following rollout to the launch site. NASA is targeting a launch window that opens on Feb. 8. Credit: NASA/Jim Ross
The NASA Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket with the Orion spacecraft is seen at Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Overview

  • Engineers loaded roughly 700,000 to 750,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and hydrogen into the SLS and ran a simulated 9 p.m. ET countdown extending into early Feb. 3.
  • A NASA news conference at 12 p.m. EST on Feb. 3 will share initial results from the fueling test, which will inform next steps for launch preparations.
  • Following the rehearsal, a Flight Readiness Review will determine if the team targets the earliest opportunity at 11:20 p.m. on Feb. 8 within a Feb. 8–11 window or slips to March/April.
  • The rehearsal began two days later than planned after managers adjusted timelines for a rare Arctic cold outbreak in Florida and configured heaters and purge systems for the conditions.
  • The crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—remains in quarantine in Houston for a lunar flyby mission to validate SLS/Orion systems, with a rollback to the VAB possible if issues require additional work.