ARTEMIS II ROLLS BACK TO LAUNCH PAD, Mar 19, 2026, KSC, 8:00 *pm* ET

Update, March 18:  SLS/Orion will roll back to the pad tomorrow, March 19, starting at 8:00 *pm* ET.

Update March 17:  NASA now says they completed work earlier than expected and they MIGHT roll out to the pad on Thursday after all.  The date is To Be Confirmed (TBC) tomorrow, March 18.

Due to quicker-than-expected completion of closeout activities, Artemis II rollout may now begin as soon as Thursday, March 19. A final decision will be made on Wednesday. More info: https://t.co/9WcVfYmGAv

— NASA (@NASA) March 17, 2026

Update, March 16:  NASA has postponed roll-out one day to March 20.  “Over the weekend … engineers were completing closeout activities ahead of rollout ….. Teams identified an electrical harness for the flight termination system on the core stage needed replacement.”

“A rollout on March 20 would still preserve the possibility of launching at the beginning of the April launch window, though teams also are keeping a close eye on the weather in the coming days.”

Original Entry: NASA plans to roll the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft back to Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center on March 19, 2026 in preparation for the launch of Artemis II around the Moon as early as April 1.

SLS/Orion first rolled to the pad on January 17, but had to return to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for repairs to the Interim Cryogenic Upper Stage (ICPS) because of a helium flow problem detected after a second Wet Dress Rehearsal was successfully completed on February 19.

The 4-mile journey from the VAB to the launch pad takes 8-10 hours. NASA has not announced when it will begin on March 19.