Today’s successful Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR) positions NASA to launch astronauts around the Moon for the first time in over 50 years as soon as next month. This was the second WDR of the Space Launch System rocket for the Artemis II mission after hydrogen leaks prematurely ended an attempt earlier this month. NASA will hold a press conference tomorrow to share the results and perhaps confirm a date for when four astronauts will venture beyond Earth orbit for the first time since 1972.
NASA is testing the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion crew spacecraft in preparation for sending three NASA astronauts and one from the Canadian Space Agency on a 10-day mission that will take them around the Moon and back to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. As a test flight, they will not orbit the Moon or land, but use a free-return trajectory that will bring them back to Earth even if the Orion propulsion system does not perform as planned.
Crew of Artemis II, L-R: Victor Glover (NASA), Reid Wiseman (NASA), Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency), Christina Koch (NASA). Credit: NASA
Today’s test went almost like clockwork with none of the hydrogen leaks that bedeviled the Artemis I uncrewed test flight in 2022 and reappeared earlier this month during the first Artemis II WDR. NASA replaced seals at the Tail Service Mast Umbilical (TSMU) where super-cold liquid hydrogen flows into SLS. That seemed to make the difference.
By 2:41 pm ET, the core stage and the upper stage, or Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS), were completely full with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
Screenshot from NASA livestream.
The WDR called for fueling or “tanking” the rocket and then two tests of the final 10 minutes of the countdown to about 30 seconds before liftoff would occur in an actual launch. After the test the tanks are drained.
NASA eventually got through the tanking phase on the first try on February 2-3, but was thwarted during the first of the two terminal countdowns just inside of 6 minutes when hydrogen leaks reappeared.
The terminal count went more smoothly tonight. A “booster avionics system voltage anomaly” briefly interrupted the first practice terminal count, but continued to the planned recycle point. The second went down to T-29 seconds as planned with no hiccups.
The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion capsule on top on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B holding at the T-10 minute mark in a practice countdown, February 19, 2026. Screenshot.
NASA declared the WDR complete at 10:16 pm ET.
The Earth and Moon must be properly aligned for lunar missions. Opportunities exist every month. NASA published a list of those in February, March and April. March 6 is next.
NASA will have a press conference at 11:00 am ET tomorrow, Friday, February 20, to discuss the WDR and may announce a date for the launch. Watch the livestream on NASA’s YouTube channel.
Last Updated: Feb 19, 2026 11:19 pm ET