Nasa's Moon rocket Artemis rolls back to pad for possible April launch

Nasa is preparing a mission to send astronauts around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years.

NASA is preparing to roll out the Artemis 2 Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center on March 19, 2026, after completing prelaunch maintenance in the Vehicle Assembly Building.

As NASA prepares for Artemis 2, the agency is simultaneously revising its broader lunar exploration strategy to be more achievable, including flexible mission planning and increased industry collaboration.

NASA has revised its Artemis mission schedule, introducing significant changes to its lunar exploration roadmap, including rescheduling Artemis II and deferring the first moon landing to a later mission.

NASA's Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft have been rolled out to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking a significant step toward the mission's planned launch in April 2026.

Watch live as NASA rolls its Artemis II moon rocket out of the hangar to the launch pad in preparations ahead of the launch attempt as early as April 1.

NASA's Artemis II rocket has been transported from its hangar to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, aiming for a potential launch on April 1, 2026, with four astronauts onboard for a fly-by mission around the moon.

NASA is set to roll out the Artemis 2 moon rocket to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center on the evening of March 19, starting around 8 p.m. EDT, ahead of a possible April 1 launch.