When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.Credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky[embedded content]The second prelaunch test campaign for NASA’s Artemis 2 moon rocket is underway, and one of its most critical operations will happen today (Feb. 19).NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket entered hour 36 of its approximately 50-hour-long wet dress rehearsal (WDR) this morning, as Artemis 2 mission managers began final preparations for the fueling portion of the launch countdown simulation. It’s the second such test the Artemis 2 SLS has had to undergo, after liquid hydrogen (LH2) leaks during its first WDR on Feb. 2 ended that campaign prematurely.AdvertisementAdvertisementGround teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida are working toward a simulated liftoff this evening at 8:30 p.m. EST (0130 GMT on Feb. 20), with a window that extends as late as 12:30 a.m. EST (0530 GMT) on Friday (Feb. 20). Between then and now, NASA will have to successfully load SLS with about 730,000 gallons (2.73 million liters) of LH2 and liquid oxygen (LOX). Such work is designed to demonstrate the rocket’s readiness for an actual liftoff with a crew of astronauts on a mission around the moon, which, if everything goes smoothly, could launch as soon as March 6.NASA’s Artemis 2 SLS (Space Launch System) rocket with the Orion spacecraft and launch abort system atop stands vertical in the background with a 1.4-million-gallon, 83-foot-wide, liquid hydrogen sphere in the foreground at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 10, 2026. | Credit: NASA/Ben SmegelskyArtemis 2 SLS wet dress rehearsal latest news: NASA continues 2nd Artemis rocket fueling testNASA is providing a commentary-free, 24-hour livestream of SLS during the WDR, which can be viewed here on Space.com as well as on YouTube. The agency said that it will also air a separate stream featuring important WDR activities; Space.com will simulcast that feed, if it’s made available.Our hand-picked selection of NASA Artemis 2 swagA selection of Artemis 2 products on a purple galaxy background wi …
