Artemis II Crew Prepares for Next Big Mission Milestone

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The Artemis II crew has successfully reached Earth orbit and is preparing for the next big step in NASA's first lunar mission in more than 50 years. Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen will perform a translunar injection burn tonight to send Orion toward the Moon, using its gravity to set the spacecraft on a path back to Earth.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission is a critical milestone in NASA's ambitious plan to return humans to the lunar surface, paving the way for future long-term exploration of the Moon. This mission will test key systems and procedures needed for the subsequent Artemis III landing mission.

The details

The Artemis II crew will execute a translunar injection burn tonight, using Orion's engines to propel the spacecraft out of Earth orbit and onto a trajectory toward the Moon. This maneuver will leverage the Moon's gravity to set Orion on a path back to Earth, completing the first crewed mission to the Moon since the Apollo program.

• The Artemis II crew successfully reached Earth orbit on April 4, 2026.
• The translunar injection burn is scheduled for tonight, April 4, 2026.

What’s next

After the translunar injection burn, the Artemis II crew will continue on their journey to the Moon, performing additional maneuvers and experiments before returning to Earth.