NASA targets March 6 for Artemis 2 launch to take astronauts around the Moon

Source: Engadget

Artemis 2 Launch Target Date

NASA has set March 6 as the earliest target for the Artemis 2 launch, a 10‑day mission that will carry astronauts around the Moon. The date follows a successful wet dress rehearsal conducted on Thursday.

Wet Dress Rehearsal

During the rehearsal, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket was fueled with more than 700,000 gallons of liquid propellant at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. NASA completed two runs of the terminal count—the final step of the launch countdown.

A brief loss of ground communications occurred, but engineers switched to a backup system and restored the regular channels shortly thereafter. The equipment responsible for the communications hiccup was identified.

“Following that successful wet dress yesterday, we’re now targeting March 6 as our earliest launch attempt,” said Dr. Lori Glaze, NASA’s Moon to Mars program manager, at a press conference on Friday. She added that further work remains, including analysis of the wet dress rehearsal, a flight‑readiness review, and additional work on the launch pad.

Crew Preparations

The four Artemis 2 astronauts are scheduled to enter quarantine later on Friday in preparation for the launch. This mission will be Orion’s first crewed flight, marking the first time in more than 50 years that a crew will travel around the Moon and representing humanity’s farthest journey into space to date. The crew will test Orion’s critical life‑support systems as a precursor to future lunar landings.

Original article: Engadget