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April 2, 2026
NASA launches Artemis II, sending astronauts on a lunar flyby mission. The flight is a key step toward future moon landings.
NASA has launched its Artemis II mission, sending four astronauts on a crewed journey around the moon for the first time in more than five decades.
The Space Launch System rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center, carrying the Orion capsule with three American astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch—and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
The mission will test spacecraft performance during a nearly 10-day flight, taking the crew farther into space than any humans have travelled before. It is a critical step toward NASA’s broader plan to return astronauts to the lunar surface later this decade.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described the launch as a foundation for future missions aimed at establishing a sustained human presence on the moon. Meanwhile, Hansen said before liftoff, “This is Jeremy, we are going for all humanity.”
The Artemis programme is also seen as part of a wider strategic push, as the United States aims to advance lunar exploration alongside growing competition from China.
