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NASA begins 49‑hour Artemis II wet dress rehearsal, fuels SLS ahead of simulated Feb. 2 liftoff

NASA began a 49‑hour wet dress rehearsal at Kennedy Space Center on Jan. 31 for Artemis II, powering up and fueling the SLS core in a full practice countdown. The test—including a simulated liftoff targeted for 9 p.m. ET Feb. 2—is the final major check before a four‑astronaut lunar flyby.

Discovered 2026-02-01T11:48:23.230182-08:00 | 2026-02-01T11:48:23.230182-08:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • This is the last full‑scale verification of SLS, ground systems and countdown procedures before Artemis II — a critical milestone ahead of the first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo; the rehearsal uses a 49‑hour countdown and includes fueling and simulated liftoff.

  • The wet dress rehearsal occurs amid a broader uptick in lunar and launch activity, underscoring schedule pressure on Cape Canaveral launch infrastructure and national human‑spaceflight tempo (see recent coverage of increased lunar activity and the congested launch calendar) [source:bac47f36-68a3-4df0-9bfc-b26b3fdee6ce] [source:2c21ea68-1d42-4a2c-9634-5e8b0599347a].

Reported By

euroweeklynews.com moondaily.com Bloomberg Law news.ssbcrack.com Space.com Science Alert
Sources Tracked
27
First Seen
2026-02-01T11:48:23.230182-08:00
Latest Update
2026-02-03T00:15:32.709831-08:00
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Space

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