NASA Artemis II Rocket Rollout Set for March 20; April 1 Moon Mission Launch Target Holds

NASA confirmed a unanimous flight readiness review cleared Artemis II for an April 1 launch after resolving liquid hydrogen leak and helium flow issues. The SLS rocket rolls to Pad 39B on March 20. Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen will fly a 10-day free-return trajectory around the Moon, the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. The crew entered quarantine in late February. The Orion heat shield assessment was completed satisfactorily.