Artemis II Rocket Undergoes ‘Wet Dress Rehearsal’ as NASA Prepares for Historic Lunar Orbit Crewed Mission Next Sunday
It’s a crucial week in the return of human beings to the moon.
NASA is making final preparations to the historic Lunar mission expected to take off next Sunday, in which the four Artemis II astronauts will go on a journey around the moon.
A critical test today will check the enormous moon rocket’s readiness to fly.
News: the countdown officially started for the rehearsal of our upcoming @NASAArtemis launch. Teams will fuel the rocket and run through a full range of operations to make sure everything is ready for our crewed launch around the Moon. More on the milestones ahead:… pic.twitter.com/MYL5ClKne6
— NASA (@NASA) February 1, 2026
NBC News reported:
“Known as a ‘wet dress rehearsal’, the test is essentially an elaborate launch day walkthrough. NASA will fully fuel its next-generation Space Launch System rocket, going through each step as it would on the actual day up until roughly 30 seconds before liftoff.
The results will allow engineers and mission managers to assess the performance and readiness of the booster.”
The wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis II mission around the Moon began at 8:13pm ET on Jan. 31 and will continue tomorrow with @NASAKennedy teams fueling the rocket.
The results from this test will help inform teams about a possible launch date. https://t.co/8wBtyGUeh6 pic.twitter.com/FVCmtlErU9
— NASA (@NASA) February 2, 2026
The Artemis II mission will be launched no earlier than Sunday (8), and send the crew on a 10-day journey around the moon, going farther from Earth than any human before them.
“If all goes well, NASA could announce a targeted liftoff in the coming days. If issues crop up, however, the space agency may be forced to delay the mission.”
With the updated schedule, we are now just 1 week away from a potential launch opportunity for NASA’s Artemis II mission. Once the wet dress rehearsal is completed in the coming days, we should soon hear a confirmed launch date and time.
Will we see a launch this month? pic.twitter.com/8d6zOpeV2S
— Jenny Hautmann (@JennyHPhoto) February 1, 2026
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