Lights illuminate NASA’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 01/18/2026. In the coming days, engineers will prepare for the wet dress rehearsal, a two-day test that simulates launch day. The Artemis II test flight will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), around the Moon and back to Earth no later than April 2026.
Lights illuminate NASA’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026.
NASA/Brandon Hancock

NASA teams officially entered the final 10 minutes of today’s Artemis II wet dress rehearsal countdown known as terminal count after Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, NASA’s Artemis launch director, gave the “go” to proceed.  

During terminal count, automated systems take control of countdown operations, final checks of flight computers, engine bleed systems, and ground support equipment occur, and the rocket transitions to internal power, and the countdown proceeds toward simulated engine start. 

Terminal count is designed to confirm that all systems can perform flawlessly under launch conditions, ensuring readiness for Artemis II – the first crewed mission of the Artemis campaign. 

Teams will be conducting a single run of terminal count for this test. 

A 24/7 live stream of the rocket at the pad remains online, as well as a separate feed to capture wet dress activities.   

Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal: Entering Terminal Count at T-10 Minutes