The four astronauts aboard Artemis II have reached orbit after launch and are now set to circle Earth for approximately 25 hours before heading toward the Moon, marking a major milestone in humanity’s return to deep space exploration.
The crew lifted off on April 1, 2026, aboard NASA’s powerful Space Launch System rocket from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center. The launch sent the astronauts into space aboard the Orion spacecraft, beginning a high-stakes mission that represents the first crewed lunar journey in more than 50 years and a critical step toward future Moon landings.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said: “Today’s launch marks a defining moment for our nation and for all who believe in exploration. Artemis II builds on the vision set by President Donald J. Trump, returning humanity to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years and opening the next chapter of lunar exploration beyond Apollo. Aboard Orion are four remarkable explorers preparing for the first crewed flight of this rocket and spacecraft, a true test mission that will carry them farther and faster than any humans in a generation. Artemis II is the start of something bigger than any one mission. It marks our return to the Moon, not just to visit, but to eventually stay on our Moon Base, and lays the foundation for the next giant leaps ahead.”
The mission’s crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency—is embarking on a roughly 10-day journey that will test critical systems needed for future lunar and Mars missions. As the first crewed flight of the Artemis programme, the mission will evaluate life support systems in space and validate spacecraft performance with astronauts on board.
Shortly after reaching orbit, the Orion spacecraft deployed its solar arrays, allowing it to draw power from the Sun, while teams on the ground and in space began transitioning to flight operations and system checks. About 49 minutes into the flight, the rocket’s upper stage executed a burn to place Orion into an elliptical orbit around Earth, with a second burn planned to push the spacecraft into a much higher orbit extending tens of thousands of miles into space.
The spacecraft, named “Integrity” by the crew, will later separate from the rocket stage and operate independently. As part of the mission, several CubeSats from international partners, including space agencies from Argentina, Germany, South Korea and Saudi Arabia, will be deployed to conduct scientific experiments and technology demonstrations.
During its time in high Earth orbit, the crew will perform manual piloting tests to evaluate Orion’s handling, working closely with mission controllers at the Johnson Space Center. If all systems perform as expected, Orion will execute a critical translunar injection burn, sending the astronauts on a trajectory toward the Moon.
The mission includes a planned lunar flyby on April 6, during which the astronauts will observe and photograph the Moon’s surface, including regions of the far side rarely seen by humans. The flyby conditions are expected to provide unique lighting that enhances surface features such as craters, ridges, and slopes, contributing valuable scientific data.
Following the flyby, the spacecraft will use the Moon’s gravity to slingshot back toward Earth, concluding the mission with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
As part of NASA’s broader Artemis program, Artemis II marks the beginning of increasingly ambitious missions aimed at establishing a long-term human presence on the Moon and paving the way for future crewed exploration of Mars.
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