NASA has officially set an early launch window for its highly anticipated Artemis II mission, targeting February 6, 2026, as the earliest possible date. This marks a pivotal moment, as it will be the first time humans travel to the vicinity of the Moon in over 53 years, since the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. The mission involves moving the massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center, a multi-hour trek scheduled to begin as early as January 17, 2026. This rollout signals the final countdown for a historic flight. Artemis II is designed as a crewed lunar flyby, a ten-day mission that will send four astronauts on a trajectory around the Moon and back to Earth. The crew comprises NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (Commander), Victor Glover (Pilot), Christina Koch (Mission Specialist), and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen (Mission Specialist). While the headline's phrasing of 'Humanity's Return to the Moon' is slightly exaggerated, as Artemis II will not involve a lunar landing, it signifies a crucial step towards that ultimate goal. The primary objective is to test and validate Orion's life-support systems and overall spacecraft performance with a human crew in deep space, paving the way for Artemis III, which aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface by 2027. The launch date remains subject to final technical checks and weather conditions. This mission is a testament to global cooperation in space exploration and holds immense scientific and technological significance for humanity's future in space.