The mission to take four astronauts around the moon could happen as soon as April 1st.

NASA is preparing to send astronauts around the Moon for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, with the Artemis II crew of four targeted to lift off as early as April 1, 2026. The agency cleared the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for the attempt after engineers resolved a

Nasa has set Wednesday 1 April 2026 as its latest target for the launch of Artemis II, the mission expected to carry astronauts around the Moon for the first crewed lunar voyage since Apollo 17 in 1972.

NASA has said the April 1 date is the first of potentially four launch opportunities for the twice-delayed return to the moon.

NASA has set a new April 1 launch target for Artemis II, the first crewed mission to the moon in more than 50 years.