Artemis IIFirst Crewed Lunar Mission in 50 Years
Four astronauts journey around the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft, paving the way for humanity's return to the lunar surface. A 10-day mission covering over 1.3 million kilometers.
Flight Trajectory
Free-return trajectory around the Moon
Mission Timeline
Key milestones of the Artemis II mission
Launch
SLS launches from Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B
Apr 1, 2026 · 10:35 PM UTC
Trans-Lunar Injection
ICPS upper stage burn sends Orion toward the Moon
Apr 2, 2026 · 12:00 AM UTC
Outbound Coast
Current PhaseOrion cruises through cislunar space toward the Moon
Apr 2, 2026 · 12:00 PM UTC
Lunar Flyby
Closest approach ~8,000 km from the lunar surface
Apr 6, 2026 · 12:00 PM UTC
Return Coast
Free-return trajectory brings Orion back to Earth
Apr 7, 2026 · 12:00 AM UTC
Re-entry & Splashdown
Orion splashes down in the Pacific Ocean
Apr 10, 2026 · 06:00 PM UTC
Crew
The four astronauts making history
Reid Wiseman
Commander
U.S. Navy captain and former test pilot. Veteran of Expedition 41 aboard the ISS in 2014.
Victor Glover
Pilot
U.S. Navy aviator. Piloted SpaceX Crew-1, the first operational flight of Crew Dragon to the ISS.
Christina Koch
Mission Specialist
Holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman (328 days) and participated in the first all-female spacewalk.
Jeremy Hansen
Mission Specialist
Canadian Armed Forces colonel and fighter pilot. First Canadian to venture beyond low Earth orbit.
About the Mission
Why Artemis II matters
Artemis II is the first crewed mission of NASA's Artemis program and the first crewed flight to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. The mission will send four astronauts on a free-return trajectory around the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft, launched by the Space Launch System (SLS) — the most powerful rocket ever built.
The primary objectives are to demonstrate Orion's life support systems with crew aboard, test manual piloting in deep space, and validate all systems needed for the subsequent Artemis III mission — which will land the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface.
The crew will travel farther from Earth than any human in history, reaching a closest approach of approximately 8,000 km from the Moon's surface. The mission also marks a historic milestone for Canada, with CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen becoming the first Canadian to fly beyond low Earth orbit.
From left: Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Jeremy Hansen. Credit: NASA/Josh Valcarcel
NASA Live Coverage
Official NASA broadcast of Artemis II
NASA Live — Artemis II Mission Coverage
NASA Live — Artemis II Launch & Updates
Mission Overview
Artemis II by the numbers
Resources
Official NASA tracking and information