Artemis II Launches for Historic Moon Flyby

Crewed mission marks first human lunar visit in over 50 years

Apr. 2, 2026 at 9:21pm

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A highly structured abstract painting in earthy tones of ochre, sage, and indigo, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric planetary circles, and precise botanical spirals, conceptually representing the complex trajectory of the Artemis II spacecraft on its journey to the moon and back.The intricate path of Artemis II's lunar flyby mission, a critical step in NASA's plan to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon.San Diego Today

The Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket successfully launched on April 1, 2026, sending four crew members - Commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen - on a historic mission to fly around the moon. This is the first crewed mission of the Orion spacecraft and the first time a woman, a person of color, and a non-U.S. citizen have traveled beyond low Earth orbit.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission is a major milestone in NASA's Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon. The data and experience gained from this mission will help guide future Artemis missions, including the planned Artemis III landing that will put the first person on the lunar surface since the Apollo era.

The details

During the approximately 10-day mission, the Artemis II crew will conduct the first human lunar flyby in over 50 years, testing the SLS rocket and various components of the Orion spacecraft, including its maneuvering capabilities. Other tests will examine the life support systems, crew interactions in deep space, and communications and navigation far from Earth. After circling the Earth twice, the spacecraft will begin its outbound transit to the moon, perform the lunar flyby, and then return to Earth for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.

  • Artemis II successfully launched on April 1, 2026 from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
  • The mission is expected to last approximately 10 days.

The players

Artemis II

The second crewed mission in NASA's Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon.

Reid Wiseman

The commander of the Artemis II mission.

Victor Glover

The pilot of the Artemis II mission.

Christina Koch

A mission specialist on the Artemis II crew.

Jeremy Hansen

A mission specialist on the Artemis II crew, representing the Canadian Space Agency.

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What they’re saying

“This is Victor. We are going for our families.”

— Victor Glover, Pilot

“This is Christina. We are going for our teammates.”

— Christina Koch, Mission Specialist

“This is Jeremy. We are going for all humanity.”

— Jeremy Hansen, Mission Specialist

What’s next

The resources and data gained from the Artemis II mission will help guide Artemis III, where humans will set foot on the moon again for the first time since the Apollo era.

The takeaway

The successful launch of Artemis II marks a major milestone in NASA's Artemis program, paving the way for future crewed missions to the moon and potentially even Mars. This mission of many firsts, including the first woman, person of color, and non-U.S. citizen to travel beyond low Earth orbit, represents a significant step forward in the exploration of deep space.