Apollo 13's record distance from Earth has stood for over half a century. Can Artemis 2 launch in time to break it?

The Washington Monument lit up on New Year's Eve in celebration of the Artemis 2 moon mission as well as the 250th anniversary year of the Declaration of Independence.

NASA says it is continuing to prepare for a possible Artemis 2 launch as soon as February, but with remarkably little publicity for the historic mission.

🚨Mission Update: Rollout for Artemis II is less than two weeks away.This milestone begins final, system-wide testing as NASA prepares to send astronauts around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years, with a launch window opening as soon as February 6. pic.twitter.com/gKRqUXIfMg January 2, 2026

NASA Artemis 2 crew Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen completed a dry dress and emergency egress rehearsal at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: Space.com | footage c

Less than a year after announcing major delays for the next two Artemis moon missions, NASA managers said Thursday the projected flight dates are slipping once again, with the first piloted voyage around the moon now expected in the April 2026 timeframe ...

On the other hand ESA's first planetary defence spacecraft ever will reach NEA Didymos by December 28

Artemis 2's Space Launch System rocket core stage was fitted with 4 RS-25 engines at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Footage courtesy: NASA/Evan Deroche/Steven Seipel/Eric Bordelon Time-lapsed by Space.