NASA Briefs Media on Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal Outcomes at Kennedy Space Center

Post-Wet Dress Rehearsal Briefing Underway

NASA is conducting a news conference today, February 3, 2026, at 12:00 PM ET from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, to provide updates and initial results following the completion of the Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR). The briefing is being livestreamed on NASA's YouTube channel. This critical test is a significant step toward the agency's goal of returning humans to the Moon.

Key participants in the news conference include Amit Kshatriya, NASA Associate Administrator; Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate; John Honeycutt, chair of the Artemis II Mission Management Team; and a representative from the Exploration Ground Systems Program.

Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal Concludes

The Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal, a comprehensive practice run for launch day procedures, commenced with a countdown on Saturday, January 31, 2026. The crucial phase of fueling the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with approximately 700,000 gallons of cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen began on Monday, February 2, 2026. The WDR involved practicing the full launch countdown, testing the ability to recycle the countdown clock, and simulating scrub procedures.

Despite minor challenges, including a small hydrogen leak that engineers determined to be within acceptable limits, the test proceeded. The WDR entered a T-10 minute hold in the simulated countdown at 8:50 PM EST on February 2. The test had faced initial delays due to cold weather and high winds at Kennedy Space Center.

Artemis II Mission: A Step Towards Lunar Return

The Artemis II mission marks the first crewed flight to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. This 10-day mission will send four astronauts on a lunar flyby, orbiting the Moon but not landing. The primary objective is to test the SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft's systems with a crew aboard in the deep space environment, verifying capabilities essential for future lunar surface missions and eventual human exploration of Mars.

The crew for Artemis II includes NASA astronauts Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch, alongside Canadian Space Agency astronaut Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen. A successful WDR is a prerequisite for NASA to finalize the decision to bring the crew to Kennedy Space Center. If cleared, the astronauts are expected to arrive at KSC around 3:00 PM ET today, February 3, to participate in a media scrum. The earliest potential launch date for Artemis II has been adjusted to February 8, 2026, following the WDR schedule.