NASA prepares historic return to lunar orbit

NASA is preparing to send astronauts around the Moon for the first time in more than half a century, targeting early March for the launch of its Artemis II mission — a key step toward returning humans to the lunar surface.

According to foreign media reports, the US space agency has set March 6 as the earliest possible launch date following a successful full “wet dress rehearsal” at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, during which the Space Launch System rocket was fully fueled and taken through a complete countdown sequence. 

The test followed an earlier February attempt that was halted by a hydrogen fuel leak, issues officials say have now been resolved.

Artemis II will carry four astronauts — Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Jeremy Hansen — on a 10-day journey that will take them around the far side of the Moon and back to Earth. It will mark the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972.

The astronauts will launch aboard NASA’s 98-meter Space Launch System rocket, travelling inside the Orion spacecraft, where they will live and work throughout the mission. After spending their first day in Earth orbit, the crew will begin a four-day voyage toward the Moon, flying 6,500 to 9,500 kilometres above the lunar surface while conducting observations and imaging before returning to Earth for a Pacific Ocean splashdown.

NASA officials say the mission is intended to pave the way for Artemis III, which aims to land astronauts on the Moon later this decade, though the agency acknowledges the current target of 2028 is ambitious. The lunar landing system is being developed by SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, but delays involving the Starship rocket have prompted NASA to request a revised and accelerated plan. Rival company Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, has also been asked to propose an expedited alternative.

The renewed push to return humans to the Moon comes amid growing competition with China, which is pursuing its own lunar landing by 2030. Both countries are focusing on the Moon’s south pole, seen as a strategic location for future lunar bases.

By Tamilla Hasanova