Science & Technology — 2026-03-23

Artemis II Crew Enters Quarantine as Moon Rocket Reaches Pad 39B; April 1 Launch Targeted

NASA's Artemis II SLS rocket completed its 11-hour, four-mile rollout to Launch Pad 39B on March 20, and the four-person crew has entered pre-launch quarantine for the April 1 crewed lunar flyby — humanity's first journey to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. Commander Wiseman, Pilot Glover, and Mission Specialists Koch and Hansen (CSA) will orbit the Moon and return to Earth. Engineers resolved hydrogen fuel leaks and helium flow problems during VAB refurbishment, replacing flight termination batteries and refreshing multiple systems. No additional tests are planned before launch.

2 sources
  1. Artemis II back on launch pad for moon flyby mission - CBS News
  2. Artemis II rocket arrives to launch pad after slow rollout ahead of April flight date - CP24

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