Artemis II Astronauts Embark on Historic Moon Mission

Four-person crew will travel record-breaking distance from Earth on 10-day journey around the lunar surface.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 12:04pm

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Four astronauts, including the first Black man and first woman to travel to deep space, blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida on Wednesday aboard the Artemis II mission - the first crewed flight to the moon since 1972. The 32-story rocket will take the crew, comprised of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, as well as Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on a journey around the moon without landing. The mission is a series of firsts, with Glover becoming the first Black man to ride into deep space and Koch the first woman. Hansen will be the first non-American to participate in a moon mission.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission marks a major milestone in the return of human spaceflight to the moon, paving the way for future Artemis missions that aim to establish a sustainable lunar presence and eventually send astronauts to Mars. The mission will test critical systems and hardware necessary for these ambitious goals, while also inspiring a new generation of space explorers.

The details

The Artemis II spacecraft successfully separated from the rocket's upper stage, and the crew is now manually piloting the Orion capsule through a series of proximity operations tests. On the second day of the 10-day mission, the crew will perform a 'perigee raise burn' to adjust the orbit and prepare for the key translunar injection burn that will send them to the moon. The capsule is expected to reach the moon on Monday and swing around the far side, setting a new distance record for NASA at 252,799 miles from Earth.

  • The Artemis II mission lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida at 6:35 p.m. ET on April 2, 2026.
  • On Day 2 of the mission, the crew is scheduled to wake up at 7 a.m. ET to perform the 'perigee raise burn'.
  • The Artemis II capsule is expected to reach the moon and swing around the far side on Monday, April 7, 2026.

The players

Reid Wiseman

NASA astronaut on the Artemis II mission.

Victor Glover

NASA astronaut on the Artemis II mission, the first Black man to ride into deep space.

Christina Koch

NASA astronaut on the Artemis II mission, the first woman to travel to deep space.

Jeremy Hansen

Canadian Space Agency astronaut on the Artemis II mission, the first non-American to participate in a moon mission.

Charlie Blackwell-Thompson

NASA launch director who addressed the Artemis II crew before liftoff.

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What they’re saying

“On this historic mission, you take with you the heart of this Artemis team, the daring spirit of the American people and our partners across the globe, and the hopes and dreams of a new generation. Good luck, Godspeed Artemis II. Let's go.”

— Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, NASA launch director

What’s next

The Artemis II crew will continue their 10-day mission around the moon, testing critical systems and hardware that will pave the way for future Artemis missions to establish a sustainable lunar presence and eventually send astronauts to Mars.

The takeaway

The Artemis II mission marks a major milestone in the return of human spaceflight to the moon, inspiring a new generation of space explorers and setting the stage for even more ambitious goals in lunar exploration and beyond.