NASA Begins Practice Countdown For First US Crewed Mission To Moon In Over 50 Years

NASA began a two-day practice countdown on Saturday, leading up to the fuelling of its new moon rocket as part of a crucial test that could decide whether it can carry four astronauts to the Moon on the first US crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years.

The space agency officially announced the countdown for the Artemis II launch, in which teams will fuel the rocket and run through a full range of operations to make sure everything is ready for NASA’s crewed launch around the Moon.

The countdown clock began at 8:13 pm EST (6:43 am Indian time), 40 minutes before the opening of a simulated launch window at 9 pm EST on February 2. The test is expected to go until approximately 1 am on Wednesday, February 3 (11:30 am IST).

News: the countdown officially

started for the rehearsal of our upcoming @NASAArtemis launch. Teams will fuel the rocket and run through a full range of operations to make sure everything is ready for our crewed launch around the Moon. More on the milestones ahead:… pic.twitter.com/MYL5ClKne6

— NASA (@NASA) February 1, 2026

This test will run the launch team, as well as supporting teams in the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and other supporting NASA centers, through a full range of operations, including loading cryogenic liquid propellant into the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s tanks, conducting a launch countdown, demonstrating the ability to recycle the countdown clock, and draining the tanks to practice scrub procedures, according to the agency.

When Will Artemis II Launch?

Commander Reid Wiseman and his crew, who are quarantined to avoid germs, will be the first people to launch to the moon since 1972. Riding in the Orion capsule on top of the rocket, the US and Canadian astronauts will hurtle around the moon and then straight back without stopping until splashdown in the Pacific. The mission will last nearly 10 days.

The 322-foot (98-metre) Space Launch System rocket moved out to the pad two weeks ago. If tomorrow’s fueling test goes well, NASA could try to launch within a week. February 8 is the earliest window for the blast-off after a cold spell in the US delayed the fuelling demonstration.

While the Artemis II crew members are not participating in the wet dress rehearsal, crew milestones occurring during launch day will be incorporated into the test timeline and the Artemis closeout crew will practice their closeout operations, which include closing the Orion crew module and launch abort system hatches, NASA said.

The team remains in quarantine in Houston, NASA said. Heaters have been placed at the top of the Orion capsule to ensure it stays warm and purging systems are in place and configured for the colder weather to maintain proper conditions.

NASA officials are also preparing to launch a crew to the International Space Station, a mission that is being closely coordinated as it is currently planned to happen within days of a potential Artemis II launch.

Artemis II Crew

Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch from NASA and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency are also part of NASA’s first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft around the Moon to verify US capabilities for humans to explore deep space.

The crew of four astronauts will lift off on the approximately 10-day mission from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The service module of the spacecraft will give send the astronauts on an outbound trip of about four days, taking them around the far side of the Moon, more than 230,000 miles from the Earth.

The crew will endure the high-speed, high-temperature reentry through Earth’s atmosphere before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.

NASA sent 24 astronauts to the moon during the Apollo program, from 1968 to 1972. Twelve of them walked on the surface.