The space sector will be in the spotlight next month as the launch window for Artemis II opens up. The launch, which will be the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis program, will be a roughly 10‑day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. The mission is designed as a critical test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft with astronauts on board before NASA attempts a crewed lunar landing later in the decade.
Earlier in the month, the fully stacked SLS and Orion vehicle were rolled from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center, initiating final integration, testing, and countdown rehearsals. NASA has outlined a primary launch window opening February 6, with additional opportunities on February 7-11, and further dates in March and early April to accommodate technical and orbital constraints.
Looking ahead, NASA plans a full “wet dress rehearsal” before setting a launch date, including loading propellants and running through the entire countdown to validate systems and procedures. During flight, Artemis II will place Orion and its crew into Earth orbit, perform system checks, then execute a burn to send the spacecraft on a lunar free‑return trajectory that swings around the Moon before reentry and splashdown.
Artemis II fits into NASA’s broader Moon‑to‑Mars strategy, which aims to use a sustained lunar presence as a proving ground for eventual human missions to Mars in the late 2030s or around 2040. Following Artemis II, Artemis III is planned as the first crewed lunar landing of the program, using a commercially provided human landing system to put astronauts on the Moon’s south polar region. The return of a human to the surface of the Moon will be one of the biggest stories of the decade.
Later missions will assemble and use the Gateway lunar space station in orbit around the Moon, test advanced life support, power, and surface mobility systems, and support extended stays on the surface. The infrastructure is intended to mature technologies such as long‑duration habitation, in‑situ resource utilization, and deep‑space navigation that are essential for the multi‑month journey to Mars. There are also expected to be defense industry considerations with a U.S. presence on the Moon.
The buzz over the moon developments could impact certain stocks tied closely to Artemis hardware and services, including Lockheed Martin (LMT) as the Orion spacecraft prime contractor, Boeing (BA) as the maker of core SLS elements, and Northrop Grumman (NGC). Meanwhile, SpaceX’s (SPACE) tie‑in begins with Artemis III and beyond since NASA selected the Elon Musk-led company to provide the human landing system that will actually take astronauts from lunar orbit down to the Moon’s surface and back up. SpaceX (SPACE) is planning an IPO that could be timed closely to Artemis buzz.
Other names to watch around Artemis developments include L3Harris (LHX), Maxar Space Systems, Blue Origin (BORGN), RTX Corporation (RTX), Leidos (LDOS), and Jacobs Solutions (J). Space-focused ETFs such as ARK Space Exploration & Innovation (ARKX) and the Procure Space ETF (UFO). If the space investing theme really picks up, there could also be more attention on Rocket Lab (RKLB), Honeywell (HON), Teledyne Technologies (TDY), Iridium Communications (IRDM), Corning (GLW), and Planet Labs (PL).