Artemis II Crew Launch Day Rehearsal

From left, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen and NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman stand outside before boarding their Orion spacecraft inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida, as part of the Artemis II countdown demonstration test, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. Because the SLS (Space Launch) rocket System) on which they will launch is not yet on the launch pad, the crew boarded Orion inside the NASA Kennedy Vehicle Assembly Building, where engineers are making final preparations on the spacecraft, rocket and ground systems. During the rehearsal, teams ran through all the steps that will be followed on launch day, bringing the clock down to just seconds before liftoff.

Through the Artemis campaign, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefit, and to lay the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars for the benefit of all.

See more photos of the countdown demo test.

Image credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani