NASA Prepares for Historic Artemis II Lunar Mission
NASA is set to launch Artemis II, the first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years, with a diverse international crew embarking on a 10-day journey around the Moon.
NASA is poised to launch Artemis II, the first crewed lunar mission since 1972, on April 1, 2026, at 6:24 p.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The mission will send four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth.
The Artemis II crew comprises NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (Commander), Victor Glover (Pilot), Christina Koch (Mission Specialist), and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen (Mission Specialist). This diverse team includes the first woman, the first person of color, and the first non-U.S. citizen to travel beyond low Earth orbit.
Artemis II aims to test critical systems of the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, paving the way for future missions that plan to land humans on the lunar surface. The mission will follow a free-return trajectory around the Moon, reaching approximately 4,700 miles beyond the lunar surface before returning to Earth.
The launch window extends through April 6, with subsequent opportunities opening on April 30, depending on weather conditions and technical readiness.
Artemis II marks a significant milestone in NASA's Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon and prepare for future missions to Mars.
