NASA to Provide Update during Artemis II Flight Readiness Review

You can watch the news conference above.

Cape Canaveral, FL., (March 12th, 2026) — NASA will provide an update on the status of its upcoming Artemis II mission following the program’s Flight Readiness Review, a key milestone that determines whether the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems are ready to proceed toward launch.

The agency announced it will share the results of the review and discuss the mission’s status during a media briefing, offering insight into the progress of preparations for the first crewed flight of the Artemis program.

The Flight Readiness Review (FRR) is one of the final major programmatic checkpoints before launch. During the review, NASA managers and technical teams evaluate data from vehicle testing, ground systems operations, and mission planning to confirm that all systems meet requirements for human spaceflight. The review assesses readiness across the rocket, spacecraft, launch infrastructure, and recovery operations before a final launch commitment can be made.

Artemis II is expected to be the first mission to carry astronauts aboard NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. The roughly 10-day test flight will send four astronauts on a trajectory around the Moon before returning to Earth, marking the first time humans travel beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo era.

The crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Their mission will test Orion’s life support systems, communications, navigation, and other critical capabilities needed for long-duration deep space missions.

The flight builds directly on the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022, which successfully demonstrated the integrated performance of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft during a trip around the Moon. Artemis II will validate those systems in a crewed configuration, providing NASA with data needed before attempting a lunar landing on future missions.

In recent months, NASA teams have been conducting a series of tests and preparations at Kennedy Space Center, including fueling demonstrations and launch countdown simulations. These operations are designed to verify the performance of ground systems and the rocket itself under launch conditions. Engineers have also been reviewing data from previous testing campaigns to address technical issues and ensure the vehicle meets all safety requirements before flight.

The Artemis II mission is a central step in NASA’s broader Artemis campaign, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon and establish a sustainable lunar presence later this decade. The mission will demonstrate the systems and operational procedures required for future lunar surface missions, including Artemis III and beyond.

Following completion of the Flight Readiness Review, NASA will determine whether to proceed with final launch preparations and confirm a target launch opportunity. If approved, teams at Kennedy Space Center will begin the final countdown toward liftoff of the agency’s first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years.