NASA’s Artemis II mission is planned as the first crewed Moon flyby in over five decades, targeting early March 2026 after a successful wet dress rehearsal and fixes to seals and filters following a hydrogen leak in a prior test.

The Artemis program is standardizing SLS rocket manufacturing and aims to lift a booster about every 10 months, a significant increase from the prior pace of roughly once every three years.

The overarching objective remains a sustained human presence in lunar orbit and on the surface, with Artemis III guiding the objectives for Artemis IV.

NASA oversight emphasizes maintaining independent technical authority, resisting cost and schedule pressure, applying standards consistently, ensuring adequate resources, and sustaining leadership commitment amid transitions and budget uncertainty.

The coverage places Artemis in the larger context of SpaceX, Starlink, and broader aerospace ambitions, with a stock-market lens tied to Elon Musk’s ventures.

A live countdown and updates are being provided by spokesperson Brooke Edwards, including webcast details, weather considerations, and observer visibility tips.

Separately, SpaceX and Elon Musk highlight progress in Tesla’s FSD Supervised feature, noting hand-signal recognition and reported safety metrics for FSD Supervised.

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Australian investors are encouraged by a firm milestone date that clarifies timelines, supports contractor revenue visibility, and underscores Canberra Deep Space Network’s role in tracking and telemetry.

Major contractors cited as supportive include Boeing, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, and ULA.

Contract structures in Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Dragon programs are noted as affecting staffing, verification, accountability, and safety risk, underscoring the need to recalibrate acquisition frameworks to restore core competencies and manage risk.

Author profile notes Ben Ward’s background and approach to space journalism.