Artemis II: Moon Missions Ahead of Planned February Launch

Astronauts prepare to orbit the moon, paving the way for long-term lunar exploration.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 10:55am

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The historic Artemis II mission is slated for a possible early February launch, with a crew of astronauts set to become the first people to fly to the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The Artemis II mission is meant to confirm that the spacecraft's systems operate as designed with a crew aboard in the deep space environment, paving the way for future Artemis missions that will return humans to the lunar surface.

Why it matters

The Artemis moon missions are part of NASA's broader goal to learn how to live and work on another world in preparation for future human missions to Mars. The Artemis program aims to drive scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of space explorers.

The details

Artemis I, an uncrewed test flight, took place in late 2022, but required extensive analyses and tests after some initial issues. Now, Artemis II will be the first crewed mission around the moon, though astronauts won't land on the lunar surface until the Artemis III mission. The Artemis II crew will consist of three veteran NASA astronauts and one Canadian astronaut, who will spend about 10 days in space testing the spacecraft's systems. This will pave the way for the Artemis III mission, which will return astronauts to the lunar surface, likely at the moon's south pole, and the Artemis IV mission, which will establish the first lunar space station called Gateway.

  • Artemis I uncrewed test flight launched on November 16, 2022.
  • Artemis II crewed mission around the moon is targeted for a possible early February 2026 launch.
  • Artemis III mission to land astronauts on the lunar surface is set to launch by 2028.
  • Artemis IV mission to establish the lunar Gateway space station is planned to follow Artemis III.

The players

NASA

The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the government agency responsible for the Artemis moon missions.

Reid Wiseman

Crew commander for the Artemis II mission, a veteran NASA astronaut.

Victor Glover

Pilot for the Artemis II mission, a veteran NASA astronaut.

Christina Koch

Astronaut on the Artemis II mission, a veteran NASA astronaut.

Jeremy Hansen

Canadian astronaut joining the Artemis II mission, awaiting his first spaceflight.

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What they’re saying

“Artemis will return humanity to the moon and visit unexplored areas. NASA's selection of these regions shows our commitment to landing crew safely near the lunar South Pole, where they will help uncover new scientific discoveries and learn to live on the lunar surface.”

— Lakiesha Hawkins, Assistant Deputy Associate Administrator, Moon to Mars Program Office

“It offers access to some of the moon's oldest terrain, as well as cold, shadowed regions that may contain water and other compounds. Any of these landing regions will enable us to do amazing science and make new discoveries.”

— Sarah Noble, Artemis Lunar Science Lead, NASA Headquarters

What’s next

NASA has scheduled a series of potential launch days around February 6, 2026 for the Artemis II mission. If those launch windows do not work, the agency has additional opportunities in March and April.

The takeaway

The Artemis II mission marks a major milestone in humanity's return to the moon, paving the way for long-term lunar exploration and potential future missions to Mars. This mission will test critical systems and capabilities, bringing us one step closer to establishing a sustained human presence on the lunar surface.