History is being made today. NASA’s Artemis II mission lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on 1 April 2026, carrying four astronauts on a sweeping journey around the Moon and back — the first time humans have ventured beyond low Earth orbit since the final Apollo mission in December 1972. It is a moment over fifty years in the making, and for those watching the launch from across the United States and around the world, it carries the weight of an era.
The Artemis II Crew
Four astronauts are aboard the Orion spacecraft for this historic ten-day mission. Commander Reid Wiseman leads the crew, a seasoned NASA astronaut with previous experience on the International Space Station. Pilot Victor Glover makes history as the first person of colour to travel beyond low Earth orbit. Mission Specialist Christina Koch becomes the first woman to journey to the vicinity of the Moon. And Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency becomes the first non-American citizen to travel to lunar space, flying on behalf of Canada’s significant contribution to the Artemis programme through the Canadarm3 robotic system.
Together they represent not just a milestone in space exploration, but a statement about who exploration is for — and who gets to be part of humanity’s next chapter beyond our planet.
What Will Artemis II Actually Do?
Artemis II is a lunar flyby mission, not a landing. The crew will travel on a free-return trajectory that swings the Orion capsule around the far side of the Moon before using the Moon’s gravity to slingshot them back toward Earth. The mission is expected to last approximately ten days in total.
During the approach to the Moon, the crew will spend time in close lunar observation, with portions of the far side of the Moon seen up close by human eyes for the very first time. They will also conduct systems tests critical to preparing for Artemis III, which is intended to land astronauts — including the first woman and first person of colour — on the lunar surface.
Launch was scheduled for no earlier than 6:24 p.m. EDT, with weather forecasters giving an 80 percent chance of favourable conditions. The Space Launch System — the most powerful rocket NASA has ever built — carries Orion beyond Earth orbit, after which the crew will spend three days in transit before reaching the Moon’s vicinity.
Why Does Artemis II Matter?
The last time humans left Earth orbit was December 1972 aboard Apollo 17. In the five decades since, human spaceflight has been largely confined to the International Space Station, which sits roughly 400 kilometres above the Earth’s surface — extraordinary in its own right, but far short of the 385,000 kilometres separating Earth from the Moon.
Artemis II restores the capability for humans to operate in deep space. The mission is also a critical engineering test of the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System under crewed conditions. Artemis I, launched in 2022, was an uncrewed flight that successfully completed the same trajectory. Artemis II must now demonstrate that the system works with humans aboard — paving the way for the surface landing that follows.
The broader Artemis programme represents America’s commitment to sustained lunar presence, eventually including a Gateway space station in lunar orbit and, over time, the infrastructure needed for missions to Mars.
International Significance
Artemis is not solely an American endeavour. The European Space Agency contributed the service module — the component of Orion that provides propulsion, power, and life support. Canada’s involvement through the robotic arm programme is reflected in Jeremy Hansen’s seat aboard the spacecraft. Japan, Australia, and other nations have signed the Artemis Accords, agreeing to a framework for peaceful and transparent cooperation in lunar exploration.
The mission has drawn enormous global attention. Thousands gathered near Cape Canaveral to witness the launch in person, while an estimated global television and streaming audience of hundreds of millions tuned in — figures not seen since the final Space Shuttle missions.
What Comes Next?
If Artemis II succeeds — as all current indicators suggest it will — the path to Artemis III opens up. That mission, which would see astronauts land near the lunar south pole and walk on the Moon for the first time since Gene Cernan in 1972, is currently targeted for the late 2020s.
Today, however, belongs to the four crew members aboard Orion. As Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen accelerate away from Earth and toward the Moon, they carry with them the hopes of an entire planet ready to dream about space again.