Artemis II

Artemis II was the first crewed mission of NASA's Artemis program and the first human journey around the Moon in more than half a century. Launched on April 1, 2026, the mission carried NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, aboard the Orion spacecraft.

During the approximately 10-day mission, the four astronauts traveled around the Moon before returning safely to Earth on April 10. The flight tested Orion with a crew aboard in deep space and provided experience that will help shape future human missions to the Moon.

Launching on the Space Launch System

Artemis II began with the launch of Orion aboard NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), a heavy-lift rocket designed to send crew and spacecraft beyond low Earth orbit.

After launch, Orion remained in the vicinity of Earth while the crew and mission teams evaluated the spacecraft's systems. Orion then performed the translunar injection maneuver, committing it to its journey toward the Moon.

A Free-Return Journey Around the Moon

Artemis II did not enter lunar orbit or attempt a landing. Instead, Orion followed a free-return trajectory that carried the spacecraft around the Moon and naturally guided it back toward Earth.

This trajectory uses the combined gravitational influence of Earth and the Moon to create a path through lunar space that returns the spacecraft toward Earth without requiring a major propulsion maneuver near the Moon to begin the journey home.

Smaller trajectory-correction maneuvers were still required to refine Orion's path and guide the spacecraft toward its planned return corridor.

Orbital Mechanics in Action

The Artemis II flight demonstrated several important elements of crewed deep-space navigation.

• Translunar Injection: A major maneuver that placed Orion on its trajectory from the vicinity of Earth toward the Moon.
• Lunar Flyby: A passage around the Moon that used orbital mechanics and lunar gravity to shape the spacecraft's return path.
• Trajectory Corrections: Smaller maneuvers used to refine Orion's course during the journey.
• Lunar-Return Re-entry: The high-speed return through Earth's atmosphere, requiring Orion and its heat shield to withstand the extreme conditions of deep-space reentry.

Together, these phases demonstrated the precision required to navigate between Earth and the Moon while keeping a crewed spacecraft on a safe return trajectory.

The Orion Spacecraft

Orion was designed to carry and support astronauts on missions beyond low Earth orbit and return them safely to Earth. Its systems include crew accommodations, life support, navigation and guidance equipment, communications, thermal protection, and other technologies required for human deep-space flight.

Artemis II was the first mission to fly astronauts aboard Orion. Operating the spacecraft with a crew in deep space provided NASA with experience that could not be fully reproduced during the uncrewed Artemis I mission.

Returning to Earth

After completing its lunar flyby, Orion continued along its return trajectory toward Earth. The spacecraft entered the atmosphere at high speed, relying on its thermal protection system to withstand the intense heat of reentry.

Parachutes slowed the crew module during the final stage of descent before Orion splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on April 10, 2026. The successful recovery brought the roughly 10-day mission to an end.

Why Artemis II Mattered

Artemis II marked humanity's return to the vicinity of the Moon for the first time since the Apollo era. Rather than landing on the lunar surface, its purpose was to demonstrate crewed operations with Orion and the Space Launch System during a real journey through deep space.

The mission provided data and operational experience for future Artemis flights, including lessons about spacecraft performance, crew procedures, communications, navigation, and human operations beyond low Earth orbit.

The Next Steps for Artemis

Artemis II was one mission within a broader effort to develop the capabilities required for sustained human exploration of the Moon and, eventually, missions farther into the Solar System.

NASA's Artemis plans continue to evolve as new spacecraft, lunar landers, and supporting systems are developed and tested. Future missions are intended to demonstrate the technologies and operations needed for lunar surface expeditions and longer-duration human exploration.

A Return to Human Deep-Space Exploration

For more than 50 years after Apollo, no human traveled to the vicinity of the Moon. Artemis II ended that long interval by carrying four astronauts beyond low Earth orbit and around another world before returning them safely home.

The mission did not repeat the lunar landings of the Apollo era. Instead, it represented a new beginning: the first crewed test of a modern deep-space transportation system designed to support an ongoing series of missions beyond Earth.