Currently, there are four astronauts who are located in outer space. Specifically, they are situated beyond low earth orbit and on course for the Moon. On April 1, 2026, NASA lifted off from Launch Complex 39B (Kennedy Space Center) with SLS to launch Orion spacecraft and crew on the first human flight to the moon since Apollo 17 in December of 1972, or more than 53 years ago. It was the first ever live space launch to the moon for Gen Z.
Artemis II is not just an Artemis mission; it represents where the resurgence of deep space human exploration began.
What Is the Artemis II Mission?
NASA’s Artemis II will use the same Space Launch System as Artemis I but will be the first time humans are on board the Orion spacecraft for the mission. Artemis II is a ten-day moon flyby, which means that the crew will fly around the moon and then return to Earth, landing back on the Earth. The flight will be considered an actual test flight of the Orion spacecraft’s systems since it is flying to outer space with people, as opposed to just going into orbit without any crew.
Artemis II builds on Artemis I, which launched in November 2022, and returned from a flight with no crew. This was an uncrewed test of the same rocket and spacecraft as Artemis II. After completing its mission, the Artemis I spacecraft showed signs of erosion of its heatshield when it reentered Earth’s atmosphere after returning from its mission to the moon.
After completing an analysis of the damage caused to the heatshield and additional tests, NASA determined that the underlying structure of the Orion will continue to protect future astronauts on Artemis III. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced that Artemis II will fly with the existing heat shield and that modifications would be made to the heat shield for Artemis III in January 2026.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Artemis II crew named their Orion spacecraft Integrity to represent the commitment to each other and the integration of over 300,000 individual parts into one vehicle for the mission.
Who Is the Artemis II Crew?
The four crew members were announced on April 3, 2023, by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson at Ellington Field outside Houston.
Reid Wiseman serves as Commander. Victor Glover is the Pilot. Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen are both Mission Specialists. Hansen is from the Canadian Space Agency, making this a joint NASA and CSA mission.
The records this crew has already set are significant. Victor Glover became the first person of color to travel beyond low Earth orbit. Christina Koch became the first woman to do so. Jeremy Hansen became the first non-US citizen to venture into deep space. Reid Wiseman is the oldest person to travel beyond low Earth orbit. And all four together set a new record for the most people beyond low Earth orbit simultaneously, according to Wikipedia’s live Artemis II entry updated as of this week.
The last time any human traveled this far from Earth, the crew of Apollo 17 were returning home in December 1972.
The Space Launch System and Orion Spacecraft
The SLS is the rocket that will be launching the Artemis II mission into space. It has a maximum thrust of 8.8 million pounds, which is 15% more than the Saturn V Moon rocket (the rocket that was used during the Apollo missions). The National Air and Space Museum states that this rocket’s core stage will be using 4 of the same engines (RS-25 engines) that powered the Space Shuttle, in addition to having 2 solid rocket boosters. Once the rocket has launched and separated from the core stage (about 8 minutes after launch), it will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and land in the Pacific Ocean.
The Orion Spacecraft (the crewed vehicle that will be used to transport astronauts) is a multi-use crewed vehicle with a diameter of 16.5 ft (it is larger than the Apollo Capsule and has an internal habitable volume of 316 cubic feet). The life-support system will sustain 4 astronauts on-board for up-to 21 days. It also has the largest heat shield of any spacecraft to date (built using Avcoat ablative material) and can withstand temperatures of 5,000°F during reentry.
One component that often goes unmentioned is the European Service Module, built by the European Space Agency and Airbus Defence and Space. It provides Orion with its main propulsion, power via four solar array wings spanning 63 feet when fully deployed, and all consumables including water and oxygen. Without the ESM, Artemis II does not fly. The deal between NASA and ESA was signed in January 2013 and saved NASA billions of dollars in development costs, according to The Planetary Society.
The crew are currently operating beyond Earth’s protective magnetosphere, which means radiation exposure is a genuine concern. The mission includes radiation monitoring as a core scientific objective, collecting data that will inform crew safety protocols for longer duration missions to the lunar surface and eventually Mars. If you want to understand more about how radiation affects structures and shielding, our detailed breakdown of nuclear bunker design covers the science of radiation protection and how mass and depth block exposure.
Artemis II Mission Timeline and Flight Path
The mission follows what NASA calls a hybrid free-return trajectory. This is a carefully calculated path that uses the Moon’s gravity to return the spacecraft to Earth naturally if propulsion fails. It is a safety architecture built into the mission design.
Flight Day 1 (April 1): Launch from Kennedy Space Center. Orion entered a high elliptical orbit around Earth. The crew conducted a manual pilot demonstration to test the spacecraft’s handling capabilities and performed a proximity operations demonstration with the spent Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage.
Flight Day 2 (April 2): The European Service Module fired Orion’s main engine for approximately six minutes in what NASA calls the translunar injection burn. This accelerated the spacecraft to break free of Earth’s orbit and set it on course toward the Moon. For the first time since Apollo 17, humans departed Earth orbit.
Flight Days 3 to 5: Orion coasts toward the Moon. The crew conduct comprehensive systems testing, verify life support functionality, practice emergency procedures, and monitor radiation exposure. Earth shrinks behind them.
Flight Day 6 (April 6): The planned lunar flyby. Orion will pass approximately 8,000 kilometers from the Moon’s surface. The crew will take high-resolution photographs and observe the lunar far side, including areas never seen directly by human eyes. The far side will be partially illuminated, creating shadows that reveal surface depth and crater rims difficult to detect under full illumination.
Flight Day 10 (April 10): Reentry and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
On the outbound journey, the crew will surpass the record for the farthest distance from Earth set by Apollo 13, at 248,655 miles, according to NASA’s official mission coverage schedule.
What Comes After Artemis II?
Artemis II is a test flight. Its entire purpose is to prove the systems that will carry astronauts to the lunar surface on the missions that follow.
Artemis III, currently targeted for 2027, will test rendezvous and docking capabilities in Earth orbit with a commercial Human Landing System. SpaceX’s Starship is the intended lunar lander.
Artemis IV, targeted for 2028, is currently planned as the first actual crewed Moon landing mission since the Apollo era. Two of the four crew members will descend to the lunar south pole, a region of permanent shadow that scientists believe contains water ice with significant implications for long-term lunar habitation and eventual missions to Mars.
NASA’s stated long-term objective, as confirmed by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman at launch, is not just to visit the Moon but to establish a permanent lunar base and use that foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.
You can follow every live milestone of the current mission on the NASA Artemis II official mission page.
Key Artemis II Facts
- Launch date: April 1, 2026, 6:35 p.m. EDT
- Launch site: Kennedy Space Center, Launch Complex 39B, Florida
- Mission duration: approximately 10 days
- Crew: Reid Wiseman (Commander), Victor Glover (Pilot), Christina Koch (Mission Specialist), Jeremy Hansen (Mission Specialist, CSA)
- Rocket: Space Launch System Block 1, 8.8 million pounds of thrust
- Spacecraft: Orion CM-002 with European Service Module 2
- Lunar flyby date: April 6, 2026, passing approximately 8,000 km from the surface
- Splashdown: April 10, 2026, Pacific Ocean
- Last crewed lunar mission before this: Apollo 17, December 1972
Frequently Asked Questions About Artemis II
Have any launches occurred for Artemis II as opposed to Artemis III?
Art-2 launched April 1, 2026, 6:35pm EDT from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The crew is currently en route to the Moon.
Will astronauts on board Artemis II land on the Moon?
No. Artemis II is a lunar flyby. The crew will pass approximately 8000 km south of the lunar surface on April 6 and return to Earth. Artemis IV is the first crewed lunar landing mission and is scheduled for 2028.
Who flew on Artemis II?
Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch (NASA) and Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency)
When was the last time humans travelled this far out into space?
Apollo 17 in December 1972, over 53 years ago.
