Artemis II: What to know about this historic moon mission
Artemis II will send four astronauts around the moon for the first time in 50 years. Learn how to watch this historic NASA mission live.
NASA’s Artemis II rocket has been moved to the launchpad as preparations ramp up for its highly anticipated April launch.
NASA is preparing to send astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. The Artemis II test flight is a major step toward returning humans to the lunar surface.
Read on to find out everything you need to know about the Artemis II launch and mission.
What is Artemis II?
Infographic on NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), the powerful rocket for the Artemis missions to the Moon. (Graphic by AFP via Getty Images)
Simply put, it’s the second test flight of NASA’s mega moon rocket called the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion spacecraft, but this time there are four astronauts inside the capsule.
The Artemis II launch follows the uncrewed Artemis I flight, the first launch of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft around the moon in 2022.
Will Artemis II land on the moon?
Infographic on NASA's Orion spacecraft, which aims to take a crew of four around the Moon and back to Earth for the Artemis II mission which is set to launch in early 2026. (Graphic by Gal ROMA and Anibal MAIZ CACERES / AFP via Getty Images)
Artemis II will not land on the lunar surface. The crew will perform a flyby, traveling around the moon before returning home.
Who are the Artemis II astronauts?
The Artemis 2 crew said seeing the space capsule up close brought home the reality of their historic mission.
Artemis II will carry NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on a 10-day journey around the far side of the moon and back.
The astronauts flew from Houston to Florida on March 27, and remain in quarantine ahead of liftoff.
Wiseman is the Artemis II commander. A native of Baltimore, this will be his second spaceflight. He has served as a NASA astronaut since 2009 and was the chief of the astronaut office from 2020 to 2022.
Wiseman and his late wife, Carroll, have two children together.
“Despite a long list of professional accolades, Reid considers his time as an only parent as his greatest challenge and the most rewarding phase of his life,” according to his NASA biography.
The Artemis II crew – (L-R) mission specialist Jeremy Hansen of CSA (Canadian Space Agency), mission specialist Christina Koch, commander Reid Wiseman, and pilot Victor Glover – stand together after arriving at the Kennedy Space Center on March 27, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Glover is the mission pilot. A native of California, this will be Glover’s second spaceflight. He flew on the first SpaceX commercial crew mission Crew-1.
Glover and his wife Dionna, have four children.
Koch, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, serves as a mission specialist on Artemis II. During her first spaceflight, Koch set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with a total of 328 days in space and participated in the first all-female spacewalk.
Also a mission specialist, Hansen will become the first Canadian ever to orbit the moon. From London, Ontario, this will be Hansen’s first spaceflight.
When will Artemis II launch?
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, secured to the mobile launcher, are seen as they climb the incline at Launch Pad 39B, Friday, March 20, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Photo Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky)
NASA is targeting April 1 during a two-hour launch window opening at 6:24 p.m. EDT from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If the launch is delayed, NASA said it has additional launch opportunities through Monday, April 6.
How can I watch the Artemis II launch and follow the mission?
NASA.gov will carry live coverage of the countdown and fueling of the SLS rocket on April 1 at 7:45 a.m. EDT. NASA+ streaming coverage begins at 12:50 p.m. The space agency will continue to stream live coverage throughout the mission.
When will humans land on the moon?
A third mission had been slated to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo program more than 50 years ago. However, NASA recently announced that some of those mission parameters have changed.
Under the new plan, Artemis III, targeted for mid-2027, will still include a crewed flight but will focus on demonstrating rendezvous and docking capabilities involving Orion and commercial partners SpaceX and Blue Origin, instead of a moon landing.
Artemis IV, planned for 2028, could mark the first human moon landing since Apollo 17 in 1972. NASA also plans to begin building a lunar base by late 2028.
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