Artemis II Launch LCC Firing Rooms I and II Activities

Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director, cuts the tie of Shawn Quinn, manager, each from NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program, inside Firing Room 1 of the Rocco Petrone Launch Control Center following the launch of the Artemis II test flight on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. The tie-cutting is a NASA tradition those who have a new role launch. The Artemis II mission launched Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), aboard NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft to journey for 10 days around the Moon and back to Earth.