NASA says its Artemis II moon mission is on track for launch as early as April 1NASA, on April 3, 2023, named the first woman and the first African American ever assigned as astronauts to a lunar mission, Artemis II, introducing them as part of the four-member team chosen to fly on what would be the first crewed voyage around the moon in more than 50 years.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

HOUSTON, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (FILE - APRIL 3, 2023) (NASA TV - For editorial use only. Do not obscure logo)

1. ASTRONAUTS JEREMY HANSEN, VICTOR GLOVER, REID WEISMAN AND CHRISTINA KOCH (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) ON STAGE

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASTRONAUT CHRISTINA KOCH, SAYING: (SOUNDBITE CONTINUES OVER DIFFERENT SHOTS OF STAGE, AUDIENCE, NASA ASTRONAUTS AND KOCH)

''We are going to launch from Kennedy Space Center through the work of the Exploration Ground Systems Team. We're going to hear the words: ‘Go for launch’ on top of the most powerful rocket NASA's ever made, the Space Launch System. And we're going to ride that rocket for 8 minutes into Earth orbit. We're not going to go to the moon right away. We're going to stay in an amazing high orbit, reaching a peak of tens of thousands of miles while we test out all the systems on Orion and even see how it manoeuvres in space. And then if everything looks good, we're heading to the moon."

3. AUDIENCE APPLAUDING

UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION (FILE) (NASA TV - For editorial use only. Do not obscure logo)

4. ARTEMIS II CREW FEATURED IN PROMOTIONAL CLIP

5. SPACECRAFT TAKING OFF

6. CREW AT END OF PROMOTIONAL CLIP

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced on December 5, 2024, new delays in the U.S. space agency's Artemis program to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972, pushing back the next two planned missions amid potential policy changes under President-elect Donald Trump's administration.

Nelson told a news conference at NASA headquarters that the next Artemis mission, sending astronauts around the moon and back, has slipped to April 2026, with the subsequent astronaut landing mission using SpaceX's Starship planned for the following year.

He added that this was "well ahead of the Chinese Government's announced intention that they have already publicly stated is 2030."

WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (FILE - DECEMBER 5, 2024) (NASA - For editorial use only. Do not obscure logo)

7. NASA ARTEMIS NEWS CONFERENCE UNDERWAY

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NASA ADMINISTRATOR, BILL NELSON, SAYING: (SOUNDBITE CONTINUES OVER WIDE SHOT OF CONFERENCE)

"Assuming the SpaceX lander is ready. We plan to launch Artemis III in mid-2027."

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (FILE - APRIL 29, 2025) (NASA - For editorial use only)

9. VARIOUS OF ARTEMIS II CREW VISIT

IN SPACE (FILE) (NASA TV - For editorial use only. Do not obscure logo)

10. VARIOUS OF MOON SURFACE SEEN FROM ORION SPACE CAPSULE

WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES (FILE - SEPTEMBER 12, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTING ADMINISTRATOR, NASA EXPLORATION SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT MISSION DIRECTORATE, DR LORI GLAZE, ON HOW THIS MISSION DIFFERS FROM PREVIOUS APOLLO MISSIONS THAT LANDED NEAR THE EQUATOR OF THE MOON, SAYING:

"This time, we're going to the South Pole. No one has ever been to the South Pole of the moon before, and it's very different. The rocks and the environment at the South Pole are very different from the terrain that our Apollo astronauts saw near the equator. So we'll get new insights into the moon itself."

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12. VISUALIZATION SHOWING THE EARTH AS SEEN FROM THE LUNAR SOUTH POLE

13. SIMULATED ARTEMIS II LUNAR FLYBY

On September 24, 2025, the Artemis II crew laid out new details of the spacecraft's 10‑day trip around the moon, stressing both the mission’s test‑flight flexibility and a schedule that could open as early as February 2026, with NASA’s official target still April 2026.

WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (FILE - SEPTEMBER 24, 2025) (NASA - For editorial use only. Do not obscure logo)

14. NASA ASTRONAUTS REID WISEMAN, VICTOR GLOVER, AND CHRISTINA KOCH, ALONG WITH CSA (CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY) ASTRONAUT JEREMY HANSEN, SITTING AS PRESS CONFERENCE KICKS OFF

15. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NASA ASTRONAUT AND ARTEMIS II COMMANDER, REID WISEMAN, SAYING (SHOT CHANGES THROUGHOUT SOUNDBITE OF WISEMAN):

"Victor, Christina, Jeremy, we're going to the moon landing. It has been an amazing journey the last two and a half years, and we really see the light at the end of the tunnel."

NASA officials said on January 16 that Artemis II, the first crewed mission to the moon since the Apollo era more than five decades ago, is moving closer to flight as the agency prepares to roll out its rocket and spacecraft.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (FILE - JANUARY 16, 2026) (NASA TV - For editorial use only)

16. WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE

17. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARTEMIS II MISSION MANAGEMENT TEAM CHAIR, JOHN HONEYCUTT, SAYING: (SOUNDBITE BEGINS OVER WIDE OF SPEAKERS)

“Taking the crew around the moon, this is going to be our first step toward a sustained lunar presence on the moon. Those ten days for astronauts going farther from Earth than any other humans ever traveled will be validating around spacecraft, life support, navigation crew systems in a really harsh environments of deep space. And that's going to pave the way for future landings.”

NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft embarked on a slow rollout towards its launchpad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 17. The giant 11-million-pound stack could take up to 12 hours to complete the 4-mile (6.4 km) journey, according to NASA.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (FILE - JANUARY 17, 2026) (NASA - For editorial use only) (MUTE)

18. A TIME-LAPSE OF THE ROLLOUT

NASA rolled its massive Space Launch System rocket toward its launchpad in Florida on January 17, kicking off a final phase of preparations for the agency's Artemis II mission that is poised to send four astronauts around the moon and back as soon as next month.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (FILE - JANUARY 17, 2026) (NASA TV -For editorial use only)

19. ARTEMIS MISSION SPACECRAFT INCHING ITS WAY TO LAUNCH SITE IN ADVANCE OF MOON MISSION (MUTE)

NASA pushed its Artemis II mission to March after wrapping up a launch rehearsal that uncovered issues with the massive Space Launch System rocket's fueling process, the latest delay for the mission to fly four astronauts around the moon and back.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (FILE - FEBRUARY 3, 2026) (NASA – For editorial use only)

20. PRESS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

21. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NASA ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR, AMIT KSHATRIYA, SAYING:

“The wet dress rehearsal we had last night was a critical milestone on the way to Artemis II. That was the reason we went to the pad, was to do this test. It allowed our teams to test all the systems required when they are in the all-up configuration. I think it's clear based on what we saw in real time, we're now targeting no earlier than March for Artemis II launch.”

NASA held a second fuelling test of the Artemis II Space Launch System rocket on February 19 at Cape Canaveral in Florida, local media reported. The test followed one in early February, where hydrogen leaks and other issues cropped up.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (FILE - FEBRUARY 19, 2026) (NASA – For editorial use only) (NIGHT SHOTS)

22. VARIOUS OF ROCKET LIT UP AGAINST NIGHT SKY, SMOKE COMING OUT OF PARTS OF ROCKET

NASA is taking steps to potentially roll back the Artemis II rocket and Orion spacecraft after observing an interrupted flow of helium, which was required for launch, the space agency said on February 21.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (FILE - FEBRUARY 21, 2026) (NASA TV - Broadcast: For editorial use only. Do not obscure logo Digital: For editorial use only. Do not obscure logo) (MUTE)

23. STATIONARY SHOT OF ROCKET ON LAUNCHPAD

NASA added a new mission to its Artemis moon program involving a spacecraft docking test in Earth's orbit before landing its first astronauts on the moon in over half a century, overhauling the flagship U.S. moon effort amid competitive pressure from China.

The new Artemis mission, planned for 2027, is one of many moon program changes the U.S. space agency announced on Friday as China inches closer to its own 2030 crewed moon landing goal, and U.S. safety experts warn more testing is needed before NASA makes its crewed attempt to land on the moon, now planned as Artemis IV in 2028.

"We all have arrived at the point that this is really the only pathway in order to achieve success with the lunar landing within the timeframes that we are targeting," NASA’s Administrator Jared Isaacman said at a news conference on February 27.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA (FILE - FEBRUARY 27, 2026) (NASA - For editorial use only)

24. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

25. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NASA ADMINISTRATOR, JARED ISAACMAN, SAYING:

"We are very early in mission design here. We all have arrived at the point that this is really the only pathway in order to achieve success with the lunar landing within the timeframes that we are targeting."

NASA said on March 12 it is preparing to roll the Artemis II rocket back to its launch pad at the Kennedy Space Centre next week, keeping the mission on track for an early April liftoff after repeated delays.

Acting Associate Administrator Lori Glaze stressed that the crewed flight around the moon remains a test mission “not without risk,” but said hardware and teams were ready. Rollout is targeted for March 19, with launch possible as soon as April 1.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (FILE - MARCH 12, 2026) (NASA - For editorial use only)

26. WIDE SHOT OF PRESS CONFERENCE

27. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTING ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR, EXPLORATION SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT MISSION DIRECTORATE, LORI GLAZE SAYING: (SOUNDBITE CONTINUES OVER SHOT OF GLAZE SPEAKING)

"Just a reminder to everybody, we talk about it every time we talk about this flight, it's a test flight and it is not without risk. But our team and our hardware are ready. We are planning to roll out to the pad, back out to the pad targeting next week, a week from today on the 19th, we are on track for that. Everything's going pretty well, maybe even a little ahead of that. But we're shooting for the 19th and then once we get back out to the pad will configure for launch. Pending completion of the work in the VAB and at the pad, we are on track for a launch as early as April 1st."

NASA began moving its Artemis II rocket toward the launch pad at Cape Canaveral early on March 20, meeting their planned target date for the rollout.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (RECENT - MARCH 20, 2026) (NASA - For editorial use only. Must not obscure logo) (NIGHT SHOTS) (MUTE)

28. ARTEMIS II ROCKET SITTING STATIONARY

29. VARIOUS TIMELAPSES OF ARTEMIS II ROCKET MOVING TO LAUNCH PAD

30. TIMELAPSE OF ARTEMIS II ROCKET SITTING STATIONARY

NASA is canceling plans to deploy a space station in lunar orbit and will instead use its components to construct a $20 billion base on the moon's surface over the next seven years, its new chief Jared Isaacman said on March 24.

Isaacman, who was sworn in at the agency in December, made the announcement at the opening of a day-long event at NASA's Washington headquarters at which he outlined a raft of changes he is making to the agency's flagship moon program Artemis.

WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (RECENT - MARCH 24, 2026) (NASA - For editorial use only)

31. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NASA ADMINISTRATOR, JARED ISAACMAN, SAYING (SOUNDBITE CONTINUES OVER WIDE SHOT OF ISAACMAN):

"The moon base will not appear overnight. We will invest approximately $20 billion over the next seven years and build it through dozens of missions, working together with commercial and international partners towards a deliberate and achievable plan. Just as there was Mercury in Gemini before Apollo, there will be an evolutionary path to building humanity's first permanent surface outposts beyond Earth."

The four astronauts selected for NASA's Artemis II mission arrived in Florida on March 27, entering the final phase of preparations for the first crewed journey toward the Moon in more than five decades.

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, are set to launch from Kennedy Space Center as soon as April 1 aboard NASA's towering Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, riding inside an Orion crew capsule built to carry humans into deep space. The roughly 10-day mission will send the crew on a high-speed loop around the Moon and back.

"I think the nation and the world has been waiting a long time to do this again,” Wiseman said upon arrival. “And on behalf of myself, Victor, Christina, Jeremy, we are really pumped to go do this for this entire team."

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (RECENT - MARCH 27, 2026) (NASA TV - For editorial use only)

32. VARIOUS OF NASA ASTRONAUTS REID WISEMAN, VICTOR GLOVER AND CHRISTINA KOCH, ALONG WITH CANADIAN ASTRONAUT JEREMY HANSEN GREETING EACH OTHER, AFTER ARRIVING BY JETS

33. ASTRONAUTS WALKING TOWARDS PRESS

34. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASTRONAUT, REID WISEMAN, SAYING:

"We're ready. The rocket is ready. We are ready. NASA's ready. This vehicle is definitely ready to go. We went through the flight readiness review. We are ready to launch."

With a dash of launch-pad heroics and 8.8 million pounds (4 million kg) of thrust, NASA's colossal new rocket soared into space for the first time early on November 16, 2022, sending a next-generation capsule on a crewless voyage around the moon and back 50 years after the final Apollo lunar mission.

The three-week Artemis I mission entails a 25-day Orion flight bringing the capsule to within about 60 miles (97 km) of the lunar surface before flying about 40,000 miles (64,400 km) beyond the moon and looping back to Earth.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (FILE - NOVEMBER 16, 2022) (NASA - For editorial use only. Do not obscure logo)

35. VARIOUS OF ARTEMIS I AS IT TAKES OFF WITH SPEAKER COUNTING DOWN AND THEN SAYING (English): "And lift-off of Artemis I. We rise together back to the moon and beyond."

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36. GRAPHIC OF NASA'S ARTEMIS I ORION SPACECRAFT

IN SPACE (FILE - DECEMBER 1, 2022) (NASA TV - For editorial use only. Do not obscure logo)

37. SHOT OF NASA'S ARTEMIS I ORION SPACECRAFT

38. WHITE FLASH

39. NASA'S ARTEMIS I ORION SPACECRAFT ENGINE BURN BEGINS

NASA unveiled on March 15, 2023, a prototype for the spacesuit that astronauts will wear on the next mission to the Moon.

The suits' features, including a light band, high definition cameras and upgraded mobility, were demonstrated during an event at Space Center Houston in Texas.

According to NASA, Axiom Space was the company selected to create the suits for the Artemis III mission "building on NASA’s years of research and expertise."

Artemis III is expected to land astronauts, including the first woman, on the Moon following two Artemis test missions.

HOUSTON, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (FILE - MARCH 15, 2023) (NASA TV - For editorial use only. Do not obscure logo)

40. ENGINEER WALKING ON TO STAGE WEARING SPACESUIT

41. VARIOUS OF ENGINEER DEMONSTRATING SPACESUIT’S MOBILITY

42. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEPUTY PROGRAM MANAGER FOR EXTRAVEHICULAR ACTIVITY ON AXIOM SPACE, RUSSELL RALSTON, SAYING: (SOUNDBITE CONTINUES OVER SHOTS OF SPACESUIT)

"There's a variety of joints that we've put as well into the lower torso assembly, and this is going to be a huge improvement over the Apollo suits. The Apollo suits didn't have many of these types of joints that we've put in this suit. So the astronauts would be more comfortable, have an easier time walking."

43. ENGINEER WEARING SPACE SUIT GREETING CHILDREN

July 20, 1969 - two humans step onto the surface of the Moon for the first time as part of Apollo 11 space mission, the first spaceflight to land humans on the Moon.

CAPE KENNEDY, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (FILE - JULY 16, 1969) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (MONOCHROME) (NASA - Editorial use only)

44. APOLLO 11 ON LAUNCH PAD

45. COUNTDOWN FOR LAUNCH IN THE MISSION CONTROL ROOM

46. APOLLO IGNITION AND LIFT-OFF

47. GANTRIES SWING AWAY

48. CREW IN CAPSULE

SEA OF TRANQUILITY, THE MOON (FILE - JULY 20, 1969) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (MONOCHROME) (NASA - Editorial use only)

49. MODULE LANDING / UPSOUND (English) ASTRONAUT, NEIL ARMSTRONG, SAYING: "The eagle has landed."

50. STILL PHOTO OF ARMSTRONG STANDING ON THE MOON / UPSOUND (English) ASTRONAUT, NEIL ARMSTRONG, SAYING: (English) "It's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind".

51. STILL PHOTO OF U.S. FLAG PLANTED ON THE MOON

52. ARMSTRONG OR ALDRIN MOON WALKING

Apollo 12 lifted off on November 14, 1969, becoming the second crewed flight to land on the Moon. Only 45 seconds after lift-off, the spacecraft was struck by lightning however but no significant damage was reported.

CAPE KENNEDY, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (FILE - NOVEMBER 14, 1969) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (MONOCHROME) (NASA - Editorial use only) (PART MUTE)

53. COUNTDOWN TO IGNITION

54. ROCKET LIFTING INTO SKY

55. (MUTE) THREE ASTRONAUTS IN CAPSULE

The third mission to land on the Moon, and the first to land in the lunar highlands, Apollo 14 lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on January 31, 1971. Astronauts Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell spent more than four and a half hours on the rough, rocky surface of the moon after the moon landing, which was touch-and-go until the last three minutes. The landing mission was nearly called off after the computer aboard the lunar landing vehicle indicated the mission should be aborted. For forty minutes technicians on earth wrestled with the problem and finally it was decided to override the computer and go ahead.

MOON (FILE - FEBRUARY 1971) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (NASA - Editorial use only)

56. SHEPARD SETTING FOOT ON MOON

57. MITCHELL COMING DOWN, STEPPING ON MOON SURFACE

58. ASTRONAUTS ON MOON SURFACE