NASA confirms Artemis II is 'ready' for the historic launch on April 1

While interacting with the media on March 29, 2026, Lori Glaze, the deputy associate administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD), confirmed that the Artemis II SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft are "ready" for lift-off on April 1, 2026. The space agency has the first six days of April to launch the rocket before standing down for nearly a month.