Moon Mission

February 21, 2026 2 min read Add Us On Google Add SciAm Just a day after NASA set a March 6 target date for its upcoming moon mission, the agency’s head announced it will roll back Artemis II’s rocket from the pad entirely By Claire Cameron NASA/Sam Lott Join Our…

NASA's Space Launch System rocket on the launch pad. The Artemis II moon mission could launch as soon as March 6. (Image credit: Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP via Getty Images) NASA is targeting Friday, March 6 as the earliest possible launch date for the historic Artemis II mission…

NASA aims to send astronauts to the moon in March after acing the latest rocket fueling test...Read More

February 20, 2026 2 min read Add Us On Google Add SciAm NASA just passed a major milestone on its mission to return humans to the moon After completing a second “wet dress rehearsal” of its upcoming moon mission, NASA said it is targeting a March 6 launch date for…

The countdown clock at the Kennedy Space Center Press Site stops at T-29 seconds at the end of the second terminal countdown demonstration, bringing an end to the wet dress rehearsal tanking test on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. Image: John Pisani/Spaceflight Now NASA and contractor engineers pumped more than 750,000…

February 17, 2026 1 min read Add Us On Google Add SciAm NASA will attempt a second “wet dress rehearsal” and simulated launch of its upcoming moon mission on Thursday By Claire Cameron edited by Jeanna Bryner NASA/Brandon Hancock Join Our Community of Science Lovers! NASA has set a date…

During its high-speed return from the moon, the thermal protection system of Orion's crew module must endure blistering temperatures to keep crew members safe. Measuring 16.5 feet (5 meters) in diameter, Orion's heat shield is the largest of its kind developed for missions carrying astronauts. (Image credit: NASA) The high-speed,…

The next-generation spacesuit for NASA’s Artemis III mission continues to advance by passing a contractor-led technical review, as the agency prepares to send humans to the Moon’s South Pole for the first time. Testing is also underway for the new suits, built by Axiom Space, with NASA astronauts and spacesuit engineers recently…

NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first to carry astronauts in the Artemis program, is now targeting a March 2026 launch opportunity after engineers concluded a key prelaunch fueling test at Kennedy Space Center. The delay follows a wet dress rehearsal conducted on Feb. 2, 2026, where teams fully fueled the…

As NASA ramps up the preparation to send four people on a trip around the moon and back, a debate is raging among experts and former astronauts over whether the mission’s spacecraft is as safe as the space agency claims. As soon as March, NASA could launch Artemis II. After…