NASA targets April 1 launch for first crewed moon mission since Apollo

NASA is targeting an April 1 launch for its Artemis II mission around the moon, marking the first crewed lunar flight since Apollo in 1972.

Officials said Thursday they completed a flight readiness review (FRR) and are set to roll the rocket back to the pad March 19 followed by final configuration for launch.

A potential launch for the 10-day mission is scheduled for 6:24 p.m. ET April 1, with a backup date of April 2 at 7:22 p.m.

"At the conclusion of the FRR, all the teams polled go to launch and fly Artemis II around the moon, pending completion of some of the work before we roll out to the launch pad," Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, said at a news conference at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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