NASA Announces New April 1 Launch Date for Artemis Moon Mission

Mobile launcher 1 containing the Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft arrives at the Vehicle Assembly Building from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, in February.Photographer: Gregg Newton/AFP/Getty Images

NASA plans to launch its Artemis II mission as early as April 1, a trip that will send a crew of four around the moon and mark humanity’s return to the lunar vicinity for the first time in more than 50 years.

NASA officials announced the new target date on Thursday, following the conclusion of a major review to determine if the mission was ready for flight after the agency had to postpone earlier targets.