No joke, NASA astronauts are set to blast off to the Moon on April 1.
NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, left, Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist, Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II mission specialist, pose for a picture showing the Freedom 250 Commemorative Patch on their flight suits, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Pix via NASA/Joel Kowsky / SWNS)
The space agency said Thursday (Mar 12) they have completed the Artemis II Flight Readiness Review.
They added the mission “is polled “go” to proceed toward launch”, citing the beginning of next month for the attempt.
NASA said they are targeting next Thursday to roll the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft to launch pad 39B at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.
This is “in advance of a launch attempt Wednesday, April 1, pending close out of remaining open work,” they added.
The Artemis II mission is NASA’s first crewed flight of the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft, sending four astronauts on a 10‑day journey around the Moon.
File photo shows NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, secured to the mobile launcher, as it rolls out of the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Pix via NASA/Keegan Barber / SWNS)
File photo shows Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Wide Angle Camera (LROC WAC) mosaic of the Moon’s near side. (Pix via NASA/ASU / SWNS)
The crew are Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
This mission will test deep‑space systems and pave the way for future crewed Moon landings.
