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NASA Sets March 12 Artemis II Review as U.S. Redefines Lunar Leadership

A potential April launch follows a flight readiness review.

Overview

  • NASA will hold a 3 p.m. EDT briefing on Thursday, March 12, following the Artemis II Flight Readiness Review at Kennedy Space Center, with live streaming available.
  • Engineers are working inside the Vehicle Assembly Building to resolve a helium flow issue on the SLS upper stage before a second rollout to Launch Complex 39B later this month.
  • NASA says Artemis II remains targeted for a potential April launch once pad preparations and review outcomes support proceeding.
  • SpaceDaily analysis contends Washington is shifting Artemis success metrics from a first-to-land race toward coalition leadership and norms-setting through the Artemis Accords.
  • That analysis also notes NASA’s recent replan—moving the first crewed landing to Artemis IV by 2028 after an Artemis III low-Earth-orbit lander test in 2027—and flags proposed FY2026 budget cuts that could push a more commercial posture.