Artemis II: NASA’s Crewed Lunar Flyby Mission Explained
Why in the news
NASA lined up Artemis II for an April 1, 2026 launch, a crewed proving flight to check hardware for a lasting human presence on the Moon.
Key facts
- No landing: the crew flies roughly 4,600 miles past the Moon’s far side, then returns.
- Manual control: astronauts will hand-fly Orion in some phases to test deep-space handling.
- Firsts: first woman, first person of color and first international partner near the Moon.
- Long-term aim: an Artemis Base Camp at the lunar South Pole, a testbed for Mars missions.
Mission hardware
- SLS: 322-foot rocket, the strongest since the Saturn V.
- Orion: crew module that handles radiation, temperature extremes and fast re-entry.
- ICPS: upper stage that lifts Orion’s orbit and gives the first push toward the Moon.
Exam angle
- Free-return trajectory: lunar gravity bends the craft home without a big engine burn, a built-in safety feature.
- Rocket: SLS; capsule: Orion; upper stage: ICPS.