Artemis II Could Launch Moon Flyby Mission Early February 2026, NASA Says

The 10-day mission will mark the first human trip around the Moon since Apollo 17 in December 1972.

NASA astronaut and Artemis II pilot, Victor Glover, speaks to the press during an Artemis Media event in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Dec. 16, 2024. Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP /AFP via Getty Images

HOUSTON—Artemis II could launch its Moon mission as early as the first week of February 2026, according to NASA official Lakiesha Hawkins on Tuesday.

Hawkins, who is the acting deputy associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, and other mission leaders shared the news during a press conference at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. However, she did not give a specific launch date.