Despite any rumors you may have heard, for now, Artemis II is still set to launch next year. NASA’s Artemis II represents the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17. Artemis, an Orion Crew capsule in combination with the Space Launch System, is currently the only rocket system capable of returning astronauts to the Moon. The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is currently taking shape inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at Kennedy Space Center. Targeting no earlier than April 2026, this 10-day journey will send four astronauts on a historic orbit around the Moon to test the functionality of the Orion crew spacecraft.
Following Artemis II, a manned landing is slated for Artemis III. NASA is already preparing for that landing with a slew of robotic lunar missions, some launching this month. Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 with Lunar Trailblazer and Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost—are advancing lunar exploration, each grappling with technical hurdles, tight schedules, and political currents.
To report on the progress of Artemis II, NASA hosted a media day in the VAB on February 25, 2025 to see the SLS core stage and SRBs today. The following day, Wednesday the 26th, the media is invited back to the KSC press site to report on the launch of IM-2 and Lunar Trailblazer on board a SpaceX Falcon9 rocket. The launch will be an instantons liftoff at 7:17pm from LC-39A. SpaceX also plans to launch Starship Integrated Flight Test 8 this Friday February 28 from Starbase in Texas. The Starship program is being developed to support sustained life on the Moon and Mars. The Blue Ghost mission is expected to land on the Moon on March 2, 2025. With such a flurry of Moon related missions this week, Moon lunacy may afflict many space reporters, please give them space.
Artemis II: A Lunar Flyby Under Construction
Artemis II will launch the Orion spacecraft atop the SLS on a mission to validate crewed operations in deep space. From a free-return trajectory around the Moon, reaching 6,400 miles beyond the far side, to a high-speed reentry, the mission is a critical precursor to Artemis III’s lunar landing in 2027. “This is about proving Orion can sustain life beyond Earth orbit,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy in a December 2024 briefing. Today, NASA opened the VAB’s High Bay 3 for a media day, unveiling the 212-foot SLS core stage and twin solid rocket boosters (SRBs), stacked back on February 19. “Seeing this hardware fully stacked is a milestone,” said Mike Bolger, Exploration Ground Systems Program Manager. “It’s the rocket that will carry humanity back to the Moon.” For many new photographers and journalist, it was a rare and awe-inspiring epic honor to be invited inside the VAB and see in person such massive space hardware and image the excitement and courage astronauts must possess to climb aboard an 8-million-pounds of thrust generating roman candle!
Artemis II Astronauts: Pioneers of a Diverse Frontier
Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen form the Artemis II crew, blending experience with historic firsts. Wiseman, a former ISS veteran, leads, while Glover and Koch will be the first Black astronaut and woman, respectively, to venture beyond low Earth orbit. Hansen, representing Canada’s Lunar Gateway contribution, completes the quartet. “We’re pushing boundaries every day in training,” Wiseman said in December 2024. Their mission will test Orion’s systems and their own resilience, setting the stage for lunar landings.
IM-2 and Lunar Trailblazer: A Dual Lunar Quest
This Wednesday, February 26, 2025, SpaceX will launch Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission alongside NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer orbiter from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A at 7:17 p.m. EST. The Nova-C lander, dubbed Athena, will target the lunar south pole’s Shackleton Connecting Ridge, aiming to drill for water ice with the PRIME-1 payload and deploy the Micro-Nova hopper to explore shadowed craters. “We’re hunting for resources to sustain future missions,” said Trent Martin, Intuitive Machines’ VP of Space Systems, in a February 2025 press call. Following the Odysseus lander’s sideways touchdown in February 2024, Athena incorporates upgraded landing gear stability.
Lunar Trailblazer, a rideshare payload, will orbit the Moon to map water ice from above using infrared and thermal imaging. “It’s a low-cost, high-impact mission,” said Bethany Ehlmann, Caltech’s principal investigator, noting its $55 million budget. Launching on a Falcon 9, the duo will separate in orbit, with Athena aiming for a March 5 landing and Trailblazer entering a 60-day commissioning phase. Weather forecasts predict a 90% chance of favorable conditions, though high winds remain a concern, per SpaceX updates.
Starship: IFT-8 Hopes to Succeed Where IFT-7 Fell Short
SpaceX’s Starship Integrated Flight Test 8 (IFT-8) is slated for launch on Friday, February 28, 2025, at 5:30 PM CST from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, pending final FAA approval. Featuring Booster 15 and Ship 34, this suborbital mission aims to build on IFT-7’s partial success—where the booster was caught mid-air, but the ship exploded due to a fire. Key objectives include deploying ten “Starlink simulator” satellites, testing an in-space Raptor engine relight, and achieving a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean, all critical steps toward lunar missions for NASA’s Artemis program and Elon Musk’s Mars ambitions.
New Tech Takes Flight
Ship 34, a Block 2 design, sports upgrades like stretched tanks for more fuel (1,500 tons), a beefier 1,600-ton thrust, and a refined heat shield with new tiles and an ablative layer to survive reentry heat up to 1,400°C. After IFT-7’s fire-related failure, SpaceX bolstered fire suppression and leak checks in the engine bay, while adding a “Pez dispenser” payload system for satellite deployment. Booster 15, tested with a full 33-engine static fire on February 9, keeps its vented interstage and aims for another dramatic tower catch—though a Gulf splashdown remains a backup if conditions falter.
Firefly’s Blue Ghost: Nearing the Lunar Surface
Launched January 15, 2025, on a Falcon 9, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander is days from its March 2 touchdown in Mare Crisium. Carrying 10 NASA payloads under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, it completed its translunar injection burn on January 30 and entered lunar orbit February 20, capturing its first lunar images. “All systems are nominal,” Firefly’s Kevin Scholtes reported on X. The lander will operate for 14 Earth days, studying regolith and solar wind interactions. Its success would mark Firefly’s first lunar landing, a feat yet unachieved by CLPS providers beyond Intuitive Machines’ partial success.
Launch Delays and Technical Trials
Artemis II’s April 2026 target reflects delays from November 2024, driven by Orion’s heat shield erosion during Artemis I, battery issues, and ML-1 repairs. “We’re on a day-for-day slip,” said Administrator Bill Nelson, with SRB stacking completed just days ago. IM-2, originally slated for late 2024, slipped due to integration delays, while Lunar Trailblazer faced propulsion testing setbacks. Blue Ghost’s 45-day transit—longer than typical—reflects a phased orbit strategy to optimize propulsion, though its untested landing system carries risk. “Every CLPS mission is a learning curve,” said NASA’s Chris Culbert.
Political Winds and Lunar Economics
The SLS, costing $4 billion per launch, remains a political lightning rod, dubbed the “Senate Launch System” for its job-sustaining roots. With a $93 billion Artemis price tag through 2025, critics like Lori Garver question its viability against SpaceX’s Starship. The Trump administration’s incoming NASA head, Jared Isaacman, may shift priorities, though commercial missions like IM-2 and Blue Ghost—funded at $116 million and $145 million, respectively—signal a hybrid future. “NASA’s betting on private innovation,” said Nicola Fox, Science Mission Directorate lead. Posts on X reflect excitement, with one user noting, “IM-2 could redefine lunar resource mapping.”
A Lunar Renaissance Unfolds
As Artemis II shines in the VAB, Athena and Lunar Trailblazer prepare for launch, Blue Ghost prepares to land and Starship is ready for blastoff, this week’s moon mission madness marks an epic return of space excitement. Together, these missions weave a tapestry of exploration—bridging Apollo’s legacy with a sustainable lunar tomorrow.
