WASHINGTON — NASA confirmed a firm launch target for Artemis II on Friday, setting the window for early February 2027. The mission will be the first crewed flight around the Moon since 1972, following completion of its flight readiness review at Kennedy Space Center.

Four astronauts will fly aboard the Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System rocket: NASA commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. They will fly a free-return trajectory around the Moon without landing.

NASA engineers have resolved concerns over the Orion heat shield that emerged after the uncrewed Artemis I flight through revised re-entry procedures and additional testing. The stacked rocket has already been assembled in the Vehicle Assembly Building, with integrated testing nearing completion.

The confirmed date represents a critical milestone for NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface with Artemis III and establish sustained presence near the Moon. Previous delays and cost overruns had created uncertainty about the timeline.

Hansen will become the first Canadian to travel beyond low Earth orbit, according to the Canadian Space Agency. Contractors Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman are supporting final integration ahead of the roll to the launch pad.