Artemis II mission managers at NASA sidestepped detailed risk assessments during a recent press conference, emphasizing the unprecedented challenges of sending humans beyond low-Earth orbit for the first time since 1972. The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft—flown together only once during 2022’s uncrewed Artemis I—face unique hazards, including deep-space navigation, heat shield performance, and communication blackout periods. NASA’s Associate Administrator Lori Glaze called probabilistic risk assessments “valuable but relative,” avoiding a concrete failure probability figure. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, a crew member, highlighted the agency’s focus on mitigating risks like environmental control failures and reentry trajectory precision.

The mission, delayed from February due to SLS hydrogen seal leaks, now targets a April 1 liftoff, with managers insisting hardware and procedures are “ready.”.