A test of NASA's towering Space Launch System rocket uncovered another issue with the vehicle meant to launch astronauts on a mission around the moon.

The Orion capsule's heat shield had issues during the uncrewed Artemis 1 moon mission in late 2022. Here are the steps NASA has taken to prevent them from recurring on Artemis 2.

Before the four astronauts of the Artemis II mission launch into space, the crew must complete NASA's two-week Health Stabilization Program.

The first crewed mission of the Artemis program won’t land on the moon, but it aims to take four astronauts farther from the Earth than anyone has gone before.

The next series of launch opportunities for the Artemis II mission begin March 3. If the mission doesn’t lift off in March, NASA will need to roll the rocket back to the Vehicle Assembly Building to refresh its flight termination system. There are more launch dates available in April and May.

The Schroeder Family Exploreum in Joplin has partnered with NASA for an event tied to the upcoming Artemis II mission. The Exploreum also is looking to its own spring launch. Neely Myers, Exploreum

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This is a step, if presently halting, toward future lunar missions and a long-term human presence on our companion world, one so important that even SpaceX is setting aside Mars for a greater focus on the moon and Blue Origin is setting aside suborbital space tourism for the same.