NASA's Artemis II Launches First Crewed Lunar Mission in Over 50 Years
NASA's Artemis II mission successfully launched four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon, marking the first crewed lunar mission since the Apollo era.
On April 1, 2026, at 6:24 p.m. EDT, NASA's Artemis II mission lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, sending four astronauts on a 10-day voyage around the Moon and back. This marks humanity's first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years, aiming to pave the way for future lunar landings.
The Artemis II crew comprises NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Notably, Koch becomes the first woman to journey to the Moon, Glover the first African American, and Hansen the first Canadian.
The mission's primary objectives include testing the Orion spacecraft's life-support systems and assessing the Space Launch System's performance. The crew will conduct research on space radiation, microgravity, and the effects of confinement and isolation during their journey. They are also expected to set a new record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth, surpassing 400,000 kilometers (252,000 miles).
NASA plans to build on Artemis II's success with future missions, aiming to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon by 2028. The Artemis program is a critical step toward eventual human exploration of Mars.
