Artemis II Crew Announced for Historic Moon Mission

Four astronauts, including one from Canada, will fly around the moon in the first crewed Artemis flight.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 6:24pm

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A bold, abstract painting in muted earth tones featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise astronomical spirals, conceptually representing the complex trajectory of the Artemis II mission around the moon.The Artemis II mission will send four astronauts on a historic journey around the moon, testing critical systems and paving the way for future lunar exploration.Key Largo Today

NASA has announced the four-person crew for the Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight around the moon since the Apollo program. The team includes three NASA astronauts - Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch - as well as Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The mission is expected to last about 10 days and will test the Orion spacecraft's systems before the astronauts journey to the moon.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission is a crucial step in NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972. This uncrewed flight test will pave the way for future Artemis missions that will land astronauts on the moon, including the first woman and person of color to walk on the lunar surface.

The details

The Artemis II crew will launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and spend the first two days testing and demonstrating the Orion spacecraft's systems close to Earth. They will then embark on a four-day journey to travel about 230,000 miles to the moon, before returning to Earth with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego. The mission will take the astronauts about 4,600 miles beyond the moon at the maximum distance.

  • The Artemis II mission is currently targeting a potential launch on April 1, 2026.
  • The mission is expected to last about 10 days in total.

The players

Reid Wiseman

NASA astronaut and former U.S. Navy captain who will serve as the commander of the Artemis II mission. He has previously served as a flight engineer on the International Space Station.

Victor J. Glover

NASA astronaut who will serve as the pilot of the Artemis II mission. He has previously served as the pilot of NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the ISS and spent 168 days aboard the station.

Christina Koch

NASA astronaut who will serve as a mission specialist on the Artemis II mission. She holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with a total of 328 days in space.

Jeremy Hansen

Canadian Space Agency astronaut who will serve as a mission specialist on the Artemis II mission. This will be his first time in space, though he has previously participated in a NASA mission simulating deep-space exploration.

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What’s next

The Artemis II crew will continue training and preparing for their historic mission around the moon, which is expected to pave the way for future Artemis missions that will land astronauts on the lunar surface.

The takeaway

The Artemis II mission represents a significant milestone in NASA's ambitious Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon and beyond. The diverse crew of four astronauts, including the first Canadian to fly around the moon, will test critical systems and pave the way for future lunar exploration.