Artemis II

Occurred 6 months ago

The first crewed Artemis flight marks a key step toward long‑term return to the Moon and future missions to Mars.

Mission Type

Crewed Lunar Flyby

MISSION DURATION

9 Days, 1 Hour, 32 Minutes

LaunchED

April 1, 2026

splashdown

April 10, 2026

NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket launched the Orion spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on the Artemis II mission on April 1, 2026, from Operations and Support Building II at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA/Bill Ingalls

Artemis II Launch

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SLS (Space Launch System) Rocket

NASA’s Artemis rocket is the SLS (Space Launch System), a super heavy‑lift rocket that uses solid rocket boosters derived from the space shuttle and liquid-fueled engines attached to a new central core stage. SLS provides the power needed to lift the Orion spacecraft off Earth and send it into deep space.

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NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Sept. 3 at 2:17 p.m. ET. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.

NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, with the Orion spacecraft aboard, is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 30, 2022.

NASA/Eric Bordelon

Our Artemis II Crew

Meet the astronauts who ventured around the Moon on Artemis II, the first crewed flight aboard NASA’s human deep space capabilities, paving the way for future lunar surface missions.

Forging New Frontiers