Artemis II edges toward lunar flight with crewed, speed-record ambitions

NASA's Artemis II rocket and Orion capsule rolled to Launch Complex 39B for the first crewed Moon mission in more than 50 years, on track for a February liftoff if the Wet Dress Rehearsal goes smoothly. The four-person crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—will travel farther from Earth than any humans and will set a reentry speed record, exceeding 25,000 mph, though they won't land. The rollout follows months of testing and fixes since Artemis I, with backup launch windows in March if February doesn't work out.