NASA's Artemis II Launches First Crewed Lunar Flyby in Over 50 Years

NASA's Artemis II mission successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1, 2026, at 6:35 p.m. ET. This mission marks the first crewed lunar flyby since the Apollo era, bringing humanity closer to the Moon than it has been in over 50 years.

The 10-day journey includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Artemis II is expected to achieve multiple milestones in space exploration.

The Artemis II crew is set for a nearly 10-day journey around the Moon and back, taking them farther into space than humans have traveled in decades.

"On this historic mission, you take with you the heart of this Artemis team, the daring spirit of the American people and our partners across the globe, and the hopes and dreams of a new generation," said Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, the launch director. "Good luck, Godspeed Artemis II. Let's go."

Five minutes into the flight, Wiseman, the commander, saw the team's target: "We have a beautiful moonrise, we're headed right at it," he said from the capsule.

Artemis II builds on the success of the uncrewed Artemis I in 2022 and will demonstrate a broad range of capabilities needed on deep space missions. The Artemis II test flight will be NASA's first mission with crew aboard the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft.

The mission is a major step in NASA's plan to return humans to the Moon and eventually send astronauts to Mars.

The 32-story rocket rose from NASA's Kennedy Space Center where tens of thousands gathered to witness the lift-off.

The Artemis II crew – NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen – are set for a nearly 10-day journey around the Moon and back, taking them farther into space than humans have traveled in decades.

"On this historic mission, you take with you the heart of this Artemis team, the daring spirit of the American people and our partners across the globe, and the hopes and dreams of a new generation," said Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, the launch director. "Good luck, Godspeed Artemis II. Let's go."

Five minutes into the flight, Wiseman, the commander, saw the team's target: "We have a beautiful moonrise, we're headed right at it," he said from the capsule.

Artemis II builds on the success of the uncrewed Artemis I in 2022 and will demonstrate a broad range of capabilities needed on deep space missions. The Artemis II test flight will be NASA's first mission with crew aboard the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft.

The mission is a major step in NASA's plan to return humans to the Moon and eventually send astronauts to Mars.