Dec 1972 – Apollo 17 completes the last crewed Moon landing, ending a half‑century gap that Artemis II seeks to close [4].

Sep 2025 – NASA schedules Artemis II for a possible launch on Feb 5, names the crew (Wiseman, Glover, Koch, Hansen) and stresses the mission will test Orion and SLS for a future landing [5].

31 Dec 2025 – Artemis II remains on track for a launch as early as Feb 6; NASA resolves the Artemis I heat‑shield wear issue and highlights the flight as a stepping‑stone amid U.S.–China lunar competition [9].

17 Jan 2026 – NASA rolls the 322‑ft SLS and Orion capsule to Launch Pad 39B, marks the first formal step toward a 10‑day lunar flyby, and confirms the crew will not land but will follow a free‑return trajectory with a launch window from early Feb to late Apr [8].

18 Jan 2026 – The SLS arrives at Pad 39B, opening launch windows from 6 Feb onward; NASA stresses safety as the European Service Module provides essential propulsion for Orion [3].

18 Jan 2026 – NASA opens virtual boarding‑pass sign‑ups, loads over 1.5 million public names onto an SD card for the flight, and notes the launch will await a fueling test before a firm date is set [16].

30 Jan 2026 – NASA sets the first launch window to begin 8 Feb, confirms the four‑person crew, and Acting Associate Administrator Lori Glaze calls Artemis II a “key test flight” that paves the way to a Moon landing and eventual Mars missions [15].

30 Jan 2026 – NASA announces Artemis II will launch in early Feb after the SLS rollout, references Apollo 17 as the last crewed Moon mission and outlines Artemis III’s planned 2028 lunar landing using a Starship‑derived lander [4].

3 Feb 2026 – CNN’s “Countdown” newsletter promotes Artemis II’s earliest possible launch on 6 Mar, emphasizing it as humanity’s first deep‑space crewed flight since 1972 [7].

3 Feb 2026 – After a wet‑dress rehearsal reveals hydrogen‑leak problems, NASA shifts the target launch to Mar 2026, adjusts the crew’s quarantine schedule, and notes a second rehearsal will follow [6].

17 Feb 2026 – A planetary parade begins, with Venus, Jupiter and Saturn visible; NASA still targets a 8 Feb launch for Artemis II but warns a polar vortex could delay the required cryogenic “tanking day” [20].

20 Feb 2026 – Following a successful second wet‑dress rehearsal that fixes earlier leaks, NASA announces a March 6 earliest launch, with Administrator Jared Isaacman calling the test “major progress” and launch director Charlie Blackwell‑Thompson saying it is “a big step in earning our right to fly” [14].

20 Feb 2026 – NASA confirms the crew’s morale is high, quoting Lori Glaze: “Every night I look up at the Moon… we’re ready,” as the agency eyes a March launch after the rehearsal [2].

20 Feb 2026 – NASA states Artemis II could lift off on 6 Mar after the wet‑dress rehearsal, positioning the mission as the first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo 17 [19].

21 Feb 2026 – Engineers detect an overnight interruption in helium flow to the SLS interim cryogenic stage, forcing a rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building, removing the March 6 window and pushing the earliest possible launch to April 2026 [1].

21 Feb 2026 – Administrator Jared Isaacman posts on X that the helium‑flow fault “takes the March launch window out of consideration,” expresses disappointment, and orders a rollback while investigators examine a possible bad filter, valve or connection plate [11].

21 Feb 2026 – NASA announces new launch opportunities on 1 Apr, 3‑6 Apr and 30 Apr, confirming Artemis II will still carry Wiseman, Glover, Koch and Hansen on a 10‑day lunar flyby after the April window [12].

21 Feb 2026 – NASA reiterates that the helium issue is separate from earlier hydrogen leaks, notes minimal leaks in a second fueling test, and emphasizes the mission will still validate Orion’s life‑support and SLS performance before a later lunar landing [18].

2028 (planned) – Artemis III aims to land astronauts on the Moon’s south pole using a SpaceX‑built Starship HLS, though NASA admits the timeline remains ambitious and depends on Starship’s readiness [1][2].

2026 – 2030 (future) – China plans an uncrewed Chang’e 7 mission in 2026 and a crewed lunar landing by 2030, heightening geopolitical pressure on NASA’s Artemis program [1][11].