NASA's gargantuan Mega Moon Rocket could head to space as soon as Aug. 29

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This rocket will ultimately carry the first woman and person of color to the moon.

NASA's Artemis mission — which will ultimately return humans to the moon's surface for the first time in 50 years, including the first woman and person of color to set foot there — could launch as soon as late August, agency officials said in a news briefing on Wednesday (July 20).

The first phase of the mission, dubbed Artemis-1, will see NASA's massive new Space Launch System (SLS) launch on a four-to-six-week-long trip around the far side of the moon and back. NASA has eyed Aug. 29, Sept. 2 or Sept. 5 as the earliest possible launch dates for the mission, NASA associate administrator Jim Free told reporters. 

The precise date of the mission will be announced about a week in advance, NASA added.