The return of US astronauts to the moon orbit is easily the most overlooked contemporary event.
Ever since 1972, no human being has been to the moon surface or its orbit. But now, the Donald J. Trump administration is gearing up for a historic return.
The Artemis II will take American astronauts back to the moon, and a first mission, to orbit our satellite, will take off in less than 10 days.
The mission was today bumped two days ahead because of the inclement weather in Florida.
NASA delayed a the fueling test (‘wet dress rehersal’) for the Artemis II moon rocket to Monday (February 2), and that pushed the historic launch back to no earlier than 11:20pm EST on February 8.
Due to weather, we now plan to fuel our Artemis II Moon rocket on Monday, Feb. 2, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. With this adjustment, the earliest possible launch date is Sunday, Feb. 8. A launch date will be set after teams have reviewed the results of the wet dress… pic.twitter.com/JHZV8Elqzt
— NASA (@NASA) January 30, 2026
CBS News reported:
“The long-awaited Artemis II mission will use NASA’s huge Space Launch System rocket to boost three NASA astronauts and a Canadian crewmate on a trip around the moon and back, the first such flight since the final Apollo mission 54 years ago. The upcoming mission will set the stage for another crew to attempt a landing near the moon’s south pole in 2028.
The Artemis II launch had been targeted for next Friday, assuming a leak-free fueling test Saturday. But with the test delay, and the time needed for NASA to analyze the results, the agency opted to give up launch opportunities on Feb. 6 and 7. If the rocket is not off the ground by Feb. 11, the flight will slip to early March.”
I don’t think people really understand why Artemis II is such a big deal. Artemis II will travel farther from Earth than any previous human mission, setting a new record for human spaceflight distance. The crew will travel 4,600 nautical miles (5,300 miles) beyond the far side of… pic.twitter.com/bCfhIakyOk
— Natalie F Danelishen (@Chesschick01) January 30, 2026
Artemis II & moon, another view.
Photo: @ulalaunch pic.twitter.com/E0TvNmoTuJ
— Ben Cooper (@LaunchPhoto) January 29, 2026
Who would you take with you on a trip around the Moon?
As we prepare to send our Artemis II astronauts around the Moon, we’d love to know who’s on your dream team. Use the hashtag #NASAMoonCrew and we may share yours during the launch broadcast: https://t.co/2cTxQZwOYf pic.twitter.com/UNvEJsVbSS
— NASA (@NASA) January 26, 2026
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