Post Wet Dress Rehearsal Press Conference

Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, launch director, Exploration Ground Systems Program, participates in a news conference on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, to discuss the completion of the Artemis II second wet dress rehearsal at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The wet dress rehearsal allows the Artemis II launch team to run through operations to load propellant, conduct a full launch countdown, demonstrate the ability to recycle the countdown clock, and drain the tanks to practice timelines and procedures for launch. 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 from Launch Complex 39B at NASA Kennedy.

Location: TV Conference Room