Technology & Science
Artemis II Crew Completes Full Countdown Rehearsal as New NASA Chief Jared Isaacman Locks In Feb 2026 Launch
On 20 Dec 2025 NASA ran an end-to-end, T-30-seconds countdown test with the four Artemis II astronauts inside Orion, after which freshly confirmed Administrator Jared Isaacman publicly committed to launching the crewed lunar-flyby no later than Feb 5 2026.
Focusing Facts
- Isaacman was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on 17 Dec 2025 in a 67–30 vote as NASA’s 15th administrator.
- The rehearsal walked through the final 5.5 hours of launch procedures with Orion still in the Vehicle Assembly Building, stopping at T-00:00:30.
- Artemis II is slated to carry the crew 5,800 mi (≈9,000 km) beyond the Moon on a 10-day free-return trajectory.
Context
This moment rhymes with December 1968’s Apollo 8, when NASA first tested human flight to lunar distance under immense Cold-War pressure. Today’s pressure is commercial and geopolitical: tight federal budgets (-$6 bn in the latest blueprint) push NASA to rely on billionaire administrators and private launch vendors, while China pledges its own crewed lunar shot by 2030. Isaacman’s moon-base talk echoes Ronald Reagan’s 1984 Space Station Freedom promise—ambitious, under-funded, yet catalytic for industry. Whether Artemis II lifts in 2026 or slips, the rehearsal proves the SLS-Orion stack and multinational crew can be loaded and counted down; success would reopen deep-space human flight after a 53-year gap and set standards for cislunar commerce that could shape the next century’s energy, defense, and resource regimes. Failure, conversely, would underscore a trend toward privatized space leadership and the waning of traditional state-run megaprojects.
Perspectives
Florida space–focused local outlets
Space Coast Daily, FOX 35 Orlando — They frame the flawless Artemis II dress-rehearsal and Jared Isaacman’s confirmation as proof that NASA is firmly on course for its first crewed lunar voyage in more than five decades. Because the region’s economy is tied to Kennedy Space Center, their upbeat coverage glosses over SLS cost overruns and looming budget cuts mentioned even in the FOX 35 piece.
Business & financial press
Forbes — They present Artemis II as a pivotal commercial and geopolitical opportunity that will validate expensive next-generation hardware and open the door to a lucrative ‘lunar economy’ under new NASA leadership. By stressing market potential and headline-worthy dollar figures, they underplay technical delays and the massive public price tag that their own reporting cites.
Tech-culture commentary sites
Jalopnik — They acknowledge the successful rehearsal yet focus on NASA’s leadership turmoil, leaked plans and budget uncertainty, questioning what Isaacman can actually deliver for the ‘beleaguered agency’. Their narrative leans into conflict and skepticism to engage readers, sometimes conflating political drama with mission readiness that the rehearsal story shows was largely achieved.