NASA's Artemis II mission launched on April 1, 2026, marking the first time humans have traveled to the vicinity of the Moon since Apollo 17 in December 1972. The Space Launch System rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida with a launch window opening at 6:24 p.m. EDT, carrying four astronauts on a roughly 10-day journey around the Moon.
The Crew Making History
The Artemis II crew represents a landmark moment for space exploration. Commander Reid Wiseman leads the mission, with Victor Glover serving as pilot — making him the first Black astronaut to fly beyond low-Earth orbit. Christina Koch, mission specialist, becomes the first woman assigned to a lunar mission. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen rounds out the crew as the first non-American to fly to the Moon.
"This is the mission that proves we're ready to go back," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson during the pre-launch briefing. The crew will orbit Earth for initial system checkouts before performing a trans-lunar injection burn to send the Orion spacecraft toward the Moon.
What the Mission Will Accomplish
Unlike the Apollo missions, Artemis II will not land on the lunar surface. Instead, the crew will fly a free-return trajectory, using the Moon's gravity to swing around the far side and return to Earth. During this flyby, the astronauts will travel several thousand miles beyond the Moon's far side, potentially setting a record for the farthest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth.
The primary objective is to verify that all of the Orion spacecraft's life support, navigation, and communication systems function correctly with a crew aboard in the deep space environment. Every system that will be used on future landing missions must pass this critical test flight.
The Road to Artemis III and Beyond
Artemis II paves the way for Artemis III, which aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon's south pole. That mission will use SpaceX's Starship as the lunar lander. If Artemis II's systems perform as expected during the 10-day flight, NASA will have the confidence to proceed with landing missions that could begin establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon.
The mission concludes with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, where the USS Portland and a Navy recovery team will retrieve the crew and the Orion capsule. Additional launch opportunities are available through April 6, with another window opening April 30 if needed.
Global Reaction
Space agencies worldwide have hailed the launch as a milestone. The European Space Agency, which built the Orion service module, and the Canadian Space Agency, which contributed Hansen and the Canadarm3 robotic arm for the future Gateway station, issued joint statements of congratulations. Search interest in "Artemis 2" surged past 500,000 queries within hours of the launch window announcement, making it the most-searched topic in the United States.