OAN Staff Addie Davis
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
UPDATE: 2:28 PM: Engineers have resolved an issue related to communication with the flight termination system about an hour before the historic Artemis II rocket scheduled launch, NASA announced.
The agency explained that the flight termination system allows engineers on the ground to send a signal to destruct the rocket if it veers off course during ascent in order to protect public safety.
“Without assurance that this system would work if needed, today’s launch would be no-go. However, engineers have devised a way to verify the system and are currently preparing to test this solution,” the space agency said.
It reported that a confidence test was performed to ensure the hardware was ready for today’s launch.
Technicians have also completed the launch abort system hatch closure that ensures the spacecraft is sealed and ready for the flight, NASA said.
10:59 AM: NASA’s Artemis II rocket is scheduled to launch Wednesday evening at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, in what what is the first manned mission to fly around the moon in over 50 years.
“Just moments ago, NASA’s Artemis II flight crew began the walk that every NASA astronaut has made since Apollo 7 in 1968,” the space agency said.
NASA announced the astronauts received a final weather briefing, with weather officials tracking 80% favorable conditions during the launch window.
The four-person crew will make a flyby of the moon on a 10-day mission expected to end with a splashdown off the coast of California.
Speaker of the House Representative Mike Johnson (R-La.) posted to X on Wednesday saying he was praying for the safety and success of the Artemis II crew and NASA.
“Americans are watching proudly as our Golden Age reaches new heights!” he said.
Johnson hosted the astronauts at President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address earlier this year.
The White House also posted about the launch, asserting Artemis II going around the moon is for all humanity.
This is a sequel to the unmanned Artemis I mission in 2022, and a precursor to future moon missions. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has recently announced plans to accelerate launches and to land astronauts on the moon in 2028. He also has talked about the plan to build a lunar base in the coming years, in accordance with the president’s vision. This is meant to prepare for future travel to Mars.
“What an exciting day for AMERICAN SPACE DOMINANCE,” said Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy posted to X on Wednesday.
“ARTEMIS II is going around the MOON and beyond. What we learn here is going to get us to MARS! And it all begins TODAY.”
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