NASA's Artemis II Mission Achieves Historic Lunar Flyby
NASA's Artemis II mission successfully completed a 10-day lunar flyby, marking the first crewed journey beyond low Earth orbit since 1972.
NASA's Artemis II mission has successfully concluded a 10-day lunar flyby, marking the first crewed journey beyond low Earth orbit since 1972. The Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, carried four astronauts: Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The mission launched on April 1, 2026, from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39B at 6:35 p.m. EDT.
During the mission, the crew conducted a seven-hour lunar fly-around, capturing images of previously unseen areas on the Moon's far side and observing a total solar eclipse. The spacecraft reached a maximum distance of 252,756 miles from Earth, surpassing the record set by Apollo 13.
The mission also achieved several milestones: Christina Koch became the first woman to travel to the Moon, Victor Glover the first person of color, and Jeremy Hansen the first Canadian and non-American. Additionally, Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson became the first woman to oversee a crewed launch.
Despite minor technical issues, including problems with valves and the capsule's toilet, the mission was deemed a major success and a critical test flight for upcoming Artemis missions. The Orion spacecraft is scheduled to reenter Earth's atmosphere and splash down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego on April 11, 2026.
