Nasa targets early March to send humans back around the Moon

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 3 min read 100% complete February 20, 2026 at 06:00 PM

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NASA is targeting early March for the Artemis II mission, which will send four astronauts around the Moon for the first time in over 50 years. The 10-day journey will take the crew, consisting of three Americans and one Canadian, around the far side of the Moon and back to Earth. This mission is a critical step towards a future lunar landing. The launch date was set after a successful "wet dress rehearsal" at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket was fully fueled and the launch countdown was tested. The astronauts will travel in the Orion capsule, located atop the 98m-tall SLS rocket, which has only flown once before without a crew.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Orion 30% Earth ×240% Kennedy Space Center 50% Lori Glaze ×250% Christina Koch 60% Reid Wiseman 60% Victor Glover 60% Jeremy Hansen 60% Space Launch System (SLS) ×370% Artemis II ×380% Moon ×690% National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) ×6100%

Keywords

artemis ii mission 100% moon 90% nasa 80% astronauts 70% space launch system 70% wet dress rehearsal 60% lunar landing 60% space exploration 50% orion capsule 50% far side of the moon 40%