NASA’s Artemis II Rollout and Mission Overview News Conference (Jan. 16, 2026)

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 17:05:50 +0000

NASA experts give updates on the Artemis II mission before rollout of the Moon rocket and spacecraft to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center.

Participants include:
• John Honeycutt, Artemis II mission management team chair
• Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director, Exploration Ground Systems
• Jeff Radigan, Artemis II lead flight director, Flight Operations Directorate
• Lili Villarreal, landing and recovery director, Exploration Ground Systems
• Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate

The Artemis II test flight will be NASA’s first mission with crew aboard the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft. Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Learn more about Artemis: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

Credit: NASA