Artemis II Sends Four Astronauts Around the Moon in Historic First Since Apollo

Humanity has returned to deep space. NASA's Artemis II mission launched from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39B on April 1, 2026, at 6.35 p.m. EDT, sending four astronauts on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. It marks the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in December 1972.

The Crew

Artemis II carries a four-person crew aboard the Orion spacecraft:

• Reid Wiseman - Commander (NASA)
• Victor Glover - Pilot (NASA)
• Christina Koch - Mission Specialist (NASA)
• Jeremy Hansen - Mission Specialist (Canadian Space Agency)

The crew arrived at Kennedy Space Center on March 27 to begin final launch preparations.

Mission Profile

The Space Launch System rocket, flying for only the second time, sent Orion into Earth orbit before performing a translunar injection burn on April 2. The engine fired for five minutes and 50 seconds beginning at 7.49 p.m. EDT, pushing the spacecraft out of Earth orbit and onto a trajectory toward the Moon.

Orion will fly a free-return trajectory, passing approximately 4,047 miles (6,513 km) from the far-side lunar surface at its closest approach. The spacecraft will reach a maximum distance of 252,799 miles (406,841 km) from Earth. The outbound journey and lunar flyby are expected to take about four days, during which the crew will monitor spacecraft systems and gather data on the effects of deep space travel.

What Comes Next

Splashdown is expected on April 10, 2026, in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, where the U.S. Navy will recover the crew. A successful mission will validate Orion's life support systems and navigation capabilities with humans aboard for the first time, paving the way for Artemis III, which aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface.