Artemis II

Artemis II

Artemis II was a mission with astronauts that flew by the Moon in nine days. It launched on April 1, 2026. The mission had four astronauts and made several important firsts. It was the first time astronauts flew as part of the NASA-led Artemis program. It was also the first time people flew beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. The spacecraft used was the Space Launch System.

The crew included Victor Glover, the first person of color to go beyond low Earth orbit. Christina Koch was the first woman on such a mission. Jeremy Hansen was the first non-U.S. citizen to take part in this kind of flight.

The mission tested things needed for future trips to the Moon. Its goals were like those of Apollo 8 in 1968, the first time people flew to the Moon. The flight followed a special path called a free-return trajectory, like Apollo 13 did in 1970.

During the flight, the crew traveled farther from Earth than any people before. They went 252,756 miles (406,771 km). This broke the old record set by Apollo 13, which was 248,655 miles (400,171 km). Commander Reid Wiseman was the oldest person to travel beyond low Earth orbit. Artemis II was a mission with many historic achievements.

History

The Artemis II mission was planned to be the first crewed flight of the NASA-led Artemis program. It would be the first time astronauts fly beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. At first, the mission was called Exploration Mission-2. Over time, the plans changed many times.

By 2023, the main part of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket was ready, and the crew of four astronauts was chosen. There were some delays because of issues with the spacecraft’s heat shield and life support system. After more checks and updates to the flight plan, the mission was set to launch on April 1, 2026. This flight will test the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket with astronauts for the first time. It is an important step for future trips to the Moon.

Crew

Artemis II had four astronauts: commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. They were from NASA and the Canadian Space Agency.

This mission was important because Victor Glover would be the first person of color to travel around the Moon, and Christina Koch would be the first woman to do so. Jeremy Hansen was the first non-American to make this journey, and it was his first time in space. The crew set a new record for the most people ever in deep space together.

Mission

Artemis II was a flight with four astronauts to test the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft. The mission lasted nine days and was the first trip with people beyond low Earth orbit since 1972.

The mission began with a launch from Kennedy Space Center on April 1, 2026. The crew spent the first day in high Earth orbit, checking the systems and getting ready to travel to the Moon. Orion then flew toward the Moon on a path that would go around the far side and come back to Earth without needing extra fuel.

During the flight, the crew tested the spacecraft, controlled it by hand, and watched the Moon up close. They also saw a solar eclipse and viewed stars and planets. The mission ended with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego. The crew was picked up by the U.S. Navy.

Experiments

Artemis II carried special experiments to help scientists learn about space travel. One experiment, called AVATAR, mimics human organs to study how they react to space conditions. Another experiment, ARCHeR, helped scientists track the health and sleep patterns of the astronauts.

The mission also tested a new way to send information from space to Earth using laser beams. This can be smaller and faster than old methods. Artemis II also carried small satellites called CubeSats from several countries. These helped study space weather and radiation, preparing for future missions.

Public outreach

To help people learn about the Artemis II mission, NASA made a website where visitors could get a digital souvenir boarding pass. People could also enter their names online before the launch, and these names were stored on an SD card inside the Orion spacecraft.

NASA also held a design challenge for a zero-gravity indicator mascot. An 8-year-old named Lucas Ye from Mountain View, California won with his design called "Rise." The mascot shows the Moon wearing Earth like a baseball cap, inspired by the famous Apollo 8 Earthrise photo. The crew of Artemis II would have this mascot with them in space.

Misinformation

Some people on social media shared false ideas about the Artemis II mission. They said the mission was not real. They shared videos made by computers and used a picture of the Moon taken by a astrophotographer named Ildar Ibatullin. They said the picture was from the Artemis II crew, but this was not true.

Similar missions

The Artemis II mission had goals like those of Apollo 7 and Apollo 8. Like Apollo 13, it flew around the Moon on a special path called a free-return trajectory. But it did not orbit the Moon like Apollo 8 did.

The design of the Artemis II mission patch was inspired by the Apollo 8 patch. It shows symbols of the trip from Earth to the Moon, like the famous Earthrise photo taken by astronaut William Anders during Apollo 8. These designs show the link between the two missions.

Wake-up calls

NASA started a tradition of playing music for astronauts during the Gemini program. This began with the Apollo 15 mission. Each song is picked by the astronauts' families. The songs often have special meaning for someone on the crew or relate to their work.

Artemis II was the first NASA mission to gather its wake-up songs into an official Spotify playlist. The crew also heard messages from former Apollo astronauts Charlie Duke and Jim Lovell.