Artemis II Crew Embarks on Historic Lunar Flyby Mission

NASA's Artemis II mission successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1, 2026, at 6:35 p.m. EDT. The mission carries four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen—on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. This marks the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972.

The Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, lifted off atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, initiating a series of maneuvers to position the crew for their lunar flyby. Shortly after launch, the crew performed an apogee raise burn to adjust the spacecraft's orbit. NASA reported that all critical systems onboard were functioning as expected, allowing the mission to proceed on its planned trajectory.

Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, speaking from the Orion capsule, described the view as "phenomenal" and emphasized the mission's significance for humanity. The Artemis II mission aims to test life-support systems and other technologies essential for future deep-space exploration. The crew is expected to perform a figure-eight slingshot maneuver around the far side of the Moon before returning to Earth.

This mission is a pivotal step in NASA's Artemis program, which seeks to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon and lay the groundwork for future missions to Mars. The successful launch and ongoing progress of Artemis II signify a new era in human space exploration.