NASA is targeting a new rollout date for the Artemis II rocket as crews work to keep the agency’s next moon mission on track for an early April launch window.

According to a NASA update released Monday, teams are now planning to roll the rocket to the launch pad no earlier than March 20, following completion of recent repairs at Kennedy Space Center.

The adjusted timeline is designed to preserve an April 1 launch opportunity, which would mark a major milestone in the agency’s Artemis program.

Engineers identified an issue over the weekend involving an electrical harness tied to the rocket’s flight termination system on the core stage, prompting the delay from a previously planned March 19 rollout.

NASA said the component has since been replaced, and teams are continuing final preparations ahead of rollout later this week.

Artemis II is set to be the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis program, and the first time astronauts will travel around the moon since the Apollo era, underscoring the importance of maintaining the current launch schedule.

The mission has been closely followed across Alabama, particularly in the Huntsville region, where NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center plays a central role in developing the Space Launch System rocket that will power Artemis missions.

With repairs now complete and rollout preparations underway, NASA officials say they remain focused on keeping Artemis II on track as the agency prepares to return humans to deep space.

The mission represents a major step forward in NASA’s broader effort to establish a sustained human presence on and around the moon in the years ahead.

Sherri Blevins is a reporter for 256 Today.