History of Artemis II in Timeline

Artemis II is a planned NASA lunar spaceflight, marking the second flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) and the first crewed mission of the Orion spacecraft. It represents the first crewed deep space mission since Apollo 17 in 1972, aiming to reach the Moon's vicinity. Scheduled for launch no earlier than April 1, 2026, Artemis II is a significant step in renewed lunar exploration efforts.

1972: Last Crewed Deep Space Mission Before Artemis II

In 1972, before the planned Artemis II mission, Apollo 17 was the last crewed deep space mission to reach the Moon's vicinity. Artemis II is significant as the first crewed deep space mission since Apollo 17.

2011: Preliminary Launch Date Estimates

In 2011, during preliminary reviews for Artemis II, the launch date was placed somewhere between 2019 and 2021.

April 2017: Cancellation of Asteroid Redirect Mission

In April 2017, the Asteroid Redirect Mission was canceled. Following this, an 8-day mission was proposed for Artemis II, sending a crew of four astronauts on a free-return trajectory around the Moon.

March 2018: Decision to Launch Gateway Module on Commercial Vehicle

In March 2018, it was decided that the first Gateway module would be launched on a commercial launch vehicle, specifically the SpaceX Falcon Heavy, due to delays in building the Mobile Launcher needed for the Exploration Upper Stage.

2019: Initial Estimated Launch Window

During preliminary reviews in 2011, the launch date was estimated to be between 2019 and 2021, but the launch was subsequently delayed past 2019.

2019: CubeSat Launch Initiative

In 2019, NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) sought proposals from U.S. institutions and companies to fly CubeSat missions as secondary payloads aboard the SLS on the Artemis II mission.

February 2020: Expected CubeSat Selections

Selections for CubeSat missions as secondary payloads aboard the SLS on the Artemis II mission were initially expected by February 2020 as part of NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative.

2020: Treaty Between the United States and Canada

In 2020, the United States and Canada entered into a treaty that facilitated the participation of Canadian astronauts in the Artemis program, leading to the selection of Jeremy Hansen and Jenni Gibbons by the Canadian Space Agency.

October 2021: Removal of Secondary Payloads

In October 2021, all secondary payloads were removed from the Artemis II mission.

2021: Initial Estimated Launch Window

During preliminary reviews in 2011, the launch date was estimated to be between 2019 and 2021, but the launch was subsequently delayed past 2021.

November 2022: Unexpected Erosion of Orion Heat Shield

Following the conclusion of the uncrewed Artemis I mission in November 2022, NASA identified unexpected erosion of the Orion spacecraft's ablative heat shield after atmospheric reentry.

February 11, 2023: Artemis II Core Stage Engine Section Horizontally Rotated

On February 11, 2023, NASA rotated the Artemis II core stage's engine section to a horizontal position. This marked the final major milestone before integration with the rest of the vehicle.

April 3, 2023: Artemis II Crew Announcement

On April 3, 2023, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced the Artemis II crew during his "State of NASA" address at Ellington Field outside Houston, Texas. The crew made a public appearance at NRG Stadium during the 2023 March Madness basketball championship game.

September 25, 2023: Installation of RS-25 Engines on Core Stage

On September 25, 2023, RS-25 engines (serial numbers E2047, E2059, E2062, and E2063) were installed on the Artemis II core stage in New Orleans.

November 22, 2023: Jenni Gibbons Named as Hansen's Backup

On November 22, 2023, Jenni Gibbons was named as Jeremy Hansen's backup for the Artemis II mission.

2023: Launch Date Delayed to 2023

Following preliminary reviews in 2011, the launch date of Artemis II was delayed to 2023.

January 2024: Projected Launch in September 2025

In January 2024, the Artemis II mission was expected to launch in September 2025.

April 2024: Establishment of Independent Review Team

In April 2024, NASA established an independent review team to assess the heat shield performance of the Orion spacecraft and the agency's proposed approach for the Artemis II mission.

May 2024: Public Release of Heat Shield Damage Imagery

In May 2024, close-up imagery of the damage to the Orion spacecraft's heat shield observed after the Artemis I mission was publicly released in a report by the NASA Office of Inspector General.

June 2024: Core Stage Scheduled for Delivery to KSC

In June 2024, NASA announced that the fully outfitted core stage for Artemis II was scheduled for delivery to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in July. The adapters required for integration of the full launch vehicle also reached substantial completion in June 2024.

July 3, 2024: Andre Douglas Named Backup Astronaut

On July 3, 2024, Andre Douglas was named backup for the three NASA astronauts on the Artemis II mission.

September 2024: Announcement of International CubeSats Aboard Artemis II

In September 2024, NASA announced that it would fly five CubeSats from international partners aboard the Artemis II mission. These payloads, selected from nations that are signatories to the Artemis Accords, aim to advance global scientific and technological research.

September 2024: Arrival of Adapters at KSC

In September 2024, the adapters required for integration of the full Artemis II launch vehicle arrived at Kennedy Space Center (KSC).

September 2024: Original Target for Rocket Stacking Operations

NASA had originally targeted September 2024 to begin Artemis II rocket stacking operations. However, this schedule was delayed.

October 2024: Likelihood of Delaying September 2025 Launch

In October 2024, the NASA Office of Inspector General determined that the Exploration Ground Systems team had exhausted their time reserved for resolving unforeseen issues, indicating that the September 2025 launch date for Artemis II would likely be delayed.

November 20, 2024: Start of Rocket Stacking Operations

On November 20, 2024, Artemis II rocket stacking operations finally began after delays due to investigations into issues with Orion's life support system and damage to the heat shield.

December 2024: Conclusion of Heat Shield Performance Review

In December 2024, NASA announced that it would proceed with Artemis II using the existing heat shield, following the conclusion of an independent review team's assessment of the heat shield performance.

December 2024: Launch Delayed to April 2026

In December 2024, outgoing NASA administrator Nelson announced that the Artemis II launch was delayed due to investigations into the life support system and heat shield issues, with a new target launch date in April 2026.

March 2025: Report of Potential Accelerated Launch Date

In March 2025, AmericaSpace reported that the Artemis II launch date might be accelerated by two months to February 2026.

April 2025: Replacement of Engine E2063 with E2061

In April 2025, engine E2063 was replaced with E2061 on the Artemis II core stage after a leak was discovered in its oxygen valve hydraulics.

May 2025: Selection of ATENEA Satellite

In May 2025, NASA announced that it had selected the ATENEA satellite from Argentina's National Space Activities Commission to join the Artemis II mission, with goals to study radiation shielding, map the radiation environment, gather GPS data, and test a long-distance communication system.

August 2025: Reports of Mission Moved to February 2026

By August 2025, several outlets, including NASASpaceflight, journalist Eric Berger, and US Senator Mark Kelly, reported that the Artemis II mission had been moved to February 2026.

September 2025: Projected Launch

In January 2024, the Artemis II mission was expected to launch in September 2025. However, in October 2024, this launch date was deemed unlikely to be achieved by the NASA Office of Inspector General.

October 20, 2025: Completion of Rocket Stacking

On October 20, 2025, stacking was completed for Artemis II with the installation of the fully integrated Orion, ESM, and launch abort system atop the SLS rocket.

January 2026: Isaacman Supports Using Existing Heat Shield

In January 2026, Isaacman stated that he supported proceeding with Artemis II using the existing heat shield after reviewing NASA's analysis and meeting with engineers and outside experts.

January 2026: Winter Storm Delays

In January 2026, a North American winter storm delayed preparations for the Artemis II launch.

January 16, 2026: Mission Overview News Conference

On January 16, 2026, NASA announced in a Mission Overview news conference that the Artemis II mission is expected to last ten days. It was also announced that the Artemis II rocket would roll out to the Kennedy Space Center the following day (January 17) and would take about 8-10 hours to be set up on the launchpad. The journey to lunar vicinity is expected to last three days, and astronauts will spend one day in lunar observation of the far side of the Moon.

January 18, 2026: Rollout to Launch Complex 39B

On January 18, 2026, the integrated SLS rocket, Orion capsule, and launch tower for Artemis II were rolled out from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B.

January 21, 2026: Souvenir Boarding Pass Opportunity

Before January 21, 2026, members of the public could enter their names online to obtain a digital souvenir boarding pass for the Artemis II mission. The names would be stored on an SD card inside the Orion spacecraft.

February 5, 2026: Pursuit of Launch Window

In September 2025, space agency officials announced that they were pursuing a launch window for Artemis II that opens on February 5, 2026.

February 2026: Postponement to March 2026

Following a wet dress rehearsal of the countdown on February 2, 2026, NASA announced that the Artemis II launch would be postponed to March 2026 due to a liquid hydrogen leak.

February 2026: Potential Launch Date

NASA responded to reports in March 2025 that the Artemis II launch date might be accelerated, stating they were looking for ways to launch as soon as February 2026, if possible.

March 4, 2026: NASA publishes Artemis II astronauts' menu

On March 4, 2026, NASA released the menu that the astronauts of Artemis II would consume during their mission.

March 2026: Postponed Launch Date

Following issues during a wet dress rehearsal in February 2026, NASA postponed the launch of Artemis II to March 2026.

April 1, 2026: Artemis II Launch Date

As of April 1, 2026, the Artemis II mission is scheduled to launch on this date or later. Artemis II is a planned lunar spaceflight mission under the Artemis program, led by NASA. It is intended to be the second flight of the Space Launch System (SLS), and the first crewed mission of the Orion spacecraft.

April 2026: Target Launch Date

As of December 2024, the target launch date for Artemis II was set for April 2026, following delays due to engineering investigations.

2027: Scheduled Artemis III Mission

NASA has indicated that, in the event of unexpected issues during the Artemis II mission, they are willing to make course-corrections for the Artemis III mission, which is slated for mid-2027.