NASA is delaying a key fueling test for the Artemis 2 mission because of weather, reducing the chances the launch can take place during its February window.

Before NASA can decide a rocket launch date for Artemis 2, the giant SLS rocket has to ace a critical fueling test known as a wet dress rehearsal.

The four people preparing to fly around the Moon on Artemis II are already living as if launch day has begun. Long before they strap into Orion, their bodies, immune systems, and exposure to germs are being managed as tightly as any rocket valve or guidance computer.

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The first humans stepped on the moon in 1972, and since then, no one has back. Now, NASA is taking the steps to get back to the surface of the moon, this time with bigger plans in mind for the future of space exploration.

The mission, called Artemis II, will send a crew in the Orion capsule to verify that its life-support, navigation, communications, and flight systems work as designed in deep space. The astronauts are Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch of NASA, and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency.

Ahead of the first launch window for Artemis 2, which runs from Feb. 8 to Feb. 11, NASA will complete a mission countdown simulation to power on and fuel the Space Launch System rocket. Operators are expected to be called to stations about 49 hours ahead of a simulated T-0,

The Artemis II rocket rolls toward the launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. | Credit: Mauricio Paiz / NurPhoto / NASA is nearing the final preparations for its first crewed moon mission since the Apollo era,