SLS

NASA's Artemis II crew returned to Earth on April 10 after the first crewed lunar voyage since 1972. A post-mission news conference is set for April 16, and the Artemis III core stage will roll out April 20.

The SLS rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center at 6:24 p.m. EDT on April 1, carrying a crew of four on a 10-day lunar flyby mission.

Four astronauts reached Florida on March 27 ahead of an April 1 launch that will send humans beyond Earth orbit for the first time since Apollo 17.

Artemis III becomes an orbital test flight in 2027 as NASA restructures its lunar program to reduce risk and increase launch cadence.

A liquid hydrogen leak halted the Artemis II wet dress rehearsal, pushing the first crewed Moon flight since 1972 to no earlier than March 6.