Artemis II

Artemis II was a crewed lunar flyby mission on April 1–11, 2026. It was the first crewed flight of the NASA-led Artemis program and the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. This important mission helped prepare for future trips to the Moon.

Artemis II was the second flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) and the first crewed flight of the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity by its four-person crew. The main goal was to test the spacecraft’s systems and procedures for future lunar missions.

The crew included Victor Glover, the first person of color, Christina Koch, the first woman, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, the first non-U.S. citizen, and commander Reid Wiseman, the oldest person to travel beyond low Earth orbit and around the Moon. During their flight, they set a new record for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth.

After launch, Artemis II received attention around the world for its successful mission and diverse crew, leading to the term Moon joy.

History

Mission planning and launch date selection (2017–2021)

In 2017, NASA planned a mission called Exploration Mission-2, which would have used a special rocket and spacecraft to visit an asteroid near the Moon. However, the plan changed when the asteroid mission was cancelled. NASA then thought about sending astronauts around the Moon for eight days. Another idea was to send astronauts to help build a space station called the Lunar Gateway, but this plan was changed too.

Hardware development, testing and integration (2021–2025)

In 2023, NASA moved important parts of the rocket and prepared the engines. The crew for Artemis II was announced in April 2023. There were delays because of problems with the spacecraft’s life support system and its heat shield, which protects it when it comes back through Earth’s atmosphere. Finally, all the parts were put together, and the rocket was ready for launch.

Heat shield concerns

After an earlier uncrewed mission in 2022, NASA found that the heat shield on the spacecraft had worn down more than expected. Engineers studied the problem and decided to adjust the way the spacecraft would return to Earth for Artemis II. They believed this would keep the crew safe even with the existing heat shield.

Mission delays

The launch date for Artemis II was changed many times. It was first planned for 2023, then moved to 2025, and finally set for April 2026. There were delays because of storms, leaks, and other technical issues. In March 2026, NASA announced that the launch would take place on April 1, 2026, after all the tests were done and the crew was ready.

Crew

Artemis II had four astronauts: commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch from the NASA Astronaut Corps, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Astronaut Corps. This mission made history with Victor Glover as the first person of color, Christina Koch as the first woman, and Jeremy Hansen as the first non-American to travel around the Moon.

A special zero-gravity indicator onboard was a plush toy named Rise, designed by an 8-year-old boy named Lucas Ye.

Mission

Artemis II was a crewed flight test with four astronauts to evaluate the performance of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft in deep space. The mission began with the crew spending the first day in high Earth orbit, conducting system checkouts and testing important spacecraft systems. After confirming everything worked well, Orion traveled toward the Moon on a path that would naturally bring it back to Earth without needing extra fuel for the return trip.

The mission included several key phases. The launch took place on April 1, 2026, from Kennedy Space Center. The crew tested life support systems and performed maneuvers to practice future docking operations. They flew around the Moon, coming as close as about 4,067 miles to its surface, and became the farthest humans from Earth on record. After the lunar flyby, Orion returned to Earth, re-entering the atmosphere at high speed before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on April 11, 2026, where the crew was recovered by the U.S. Navy.

Experiments

Artemis II included important experiments to help future space missions. One experiment, called AVATAR, mimicked human organs to study how space affects astronauts. Crew members also wore monitors to track their health and sleep patterns during the mission.

The mission tested a new way to send information to Earth using laser beams, which is smaller and uses less power than older methods. Artemis II also carried small satellites called CubeSats from different countries to study space conditions and radiation. These experiments will help scientists learn how to keep astronauts safe on future trips to space.

Main articles: CubeSat, Artemis Accords

Public outreach

See also: Artemis I § Public outreach

NASA encouraged public involvement in the Artemis II mission by letting people create a "boarding pass" online. These names were stored on an SD card and taken on the spacecraft.

NASA also held a design contest for a zero-gravity indicator, a special mascot for the mission. Over 2,600 entries were submitted from more than 50 countries. The winning design, called Rise, was created by an eight-year-old named Lucas Ye from California. Rise shows the Moon wearing Earth like a baseball cap. The mascot was made into a soft toy and carried inside the spacecraft.

Before the launch, NASA shared the astronauts' special menu, which included tasty foods like tortillas, vegetable quiche, and brisket. People were also invited to watch for bright flashes on the Moon caused by meteor strikes, just like the crew would during their flight.

In culture

Artemis II was shown live by NASA, with videos from the spacecraft and talks from the crew. Their excitement and joy brought a special feeling called "moon joy" — a mix of happiness and thrill from going to the Moon.

Even though not many people expected Artemis II at first, interest grew fast once it launched. Many people around the world watched and felt excited together, especially because most of the world’s population hadn’t seen a Moon mission since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Misinformation

Some people online shared false ideas about Artemis II. They posted made-up videos claiming the mission was not real. A colorful picture of the Moon, actually taken in 2025 by a Ukrainian photographer, was wrongly said to be from the Artemis II crew.

Similar missions

NASA described Artemis II's mission goals as similar to those of both Apollo 7 and Apollo 8. It combined tests of the spacecraft in Earth and lunar orbit into one mission. Unlike Apollo 8, Artemis II did not enter lunar orbit. Instead, it flew around the Moon on a free-return trajectory, like Apollo 13 in 1970. While Apollo 13 came very close to the Moon, Artemis II stayed farther away during its flyby.

Mission insignia

The Artemis II mission patch was designed by Gregory Manchess. It was inspired by the Apollo 8 patch, which included an infinity symbol. The Artemis II patch shows a curved path that looks like the number 2, representing the mission's journey from Earth to the Moon. It also shows Earth as seen from the Moon, similar to the famous Earthrise photograph taken during Apollo 8. This design highlights the connection between Artemis II and Apollo 8, showing that Artemis II was the first crewed mission to the Moon since Apollo. The astronauts also had a special version of the patch for their return to Earth, where Earth appeared larger and the Moon smaller.

Wake-up calls

NASA started the tradition of playing music to astronauts during the Gemini program and first used music to wake up a crew during Apollo 15. Each song is picked especially, often by the astronauts' families, and usually means something special to one of the crew members or fits their daily tasks.

Artemis II was the first NASA mission to gather its wake-up songs into an official Spotify playlist. The crew also heard pre-recorded greetings from former Apollo astronauts Charlie Duke and Jim Lovell. Some of the songs became very popular around the world after the mission.