NASA Artemis II rocket launch test: Watch live feed

All eyes are on NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft are staged on the launch pad ahead of the Artemis II mission.

This is the second part of the Artemis program, which eventually plans to send astronauts to the moon. During Artemis I, an uncrewed rocket flew 1.4 million miles beyond the moon, before returning to Earth. 

Artemis II, the current mission, will sent four astronauts into space and around the moon, before returning to Earth. The Artemis III mission then hoped to send astronauts to the moon’s South Pole. 

A wet dress rehearsal is underway – a simulated run through of launch day without the astronauts and without an ignition. You can watch live in the player above.

What does the Artemis II wet dress rehearsal involve?

For the wet dress rehearsal, engineers and ground crew will run through checks of the rocket that would be conducted on launch day. The test includes fueling the rocket with more than 700,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. 

Engineers are expected to charge the flight batteries for the Orion capsule, which will carry the astronauts into space on launch day. 

Teams will also complete a simulated launch countdown that’s set to begin at 9 p.m. ET. The test is expected to last until 1 a.m. Tuesday, barring any delays.

If everything goes well, NASA will then set a launch date for the Artemis II mission.

What is the Artemis II launch date?

A specific date has not yet been revealed. However, NASA said it is targeting no earlier than Feb. 8 for a potential launch.

Who are the astronauts that will be part of Artemis II?

Four astronauts will be part of the Artemis II mission:

• Reid Wiseman, commander, NASA astronaut
• Victor Glover, pilot, NASA astronaut
• Christina Koch, mission specialist, NASA astronaut
• Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut

Those astronauts have been quarantined in Houston since Jan. 21, according to NASA.