NASA Artemis II: New Moon Images and Mission Updates
- NASA has concluded the Artemis II mission, the first crewed test flight of the Artemis program designed to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon.
- The crew included NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, alongside Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
- The mission commenced on April 1, 2026, with a liftoff from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA has concluded the Artemis II mission, the first crewed test flight of the Artemis program designed to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon. The mission consisted of a 10-day voyage that saw four astronauts venture around the Moon and return safely to Earth.
The crew included NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, alongside Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Following their lunar flyby, the crew returned to the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Mission Timeline and Flight Operations
The mission commenced on April 1, 2026, with a liftoff from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Within a few hours of launch, the crew entered a controlled orbit to prepare for the maneuver required to set a course for the Moon.
On April 2, 2026, the Orion spacecraft executed a burn using 6,700 pounds of fuel to leave Earth’s orbit. The journey progressed toward the Moon, with the crew beginning lunar observations on the sixth day of the mission. During this phase, astronaut Victor Glover described the terminator
—the boundary between the Moon’s day and night hemispheres—as fantastic
while communicating with Houston mission control.
The mission reached its capstone on April 6, 2026, during a seven-hour lunar flyby. The crew, operating from the Orion spacecraft which they named Integrity, captured a series of images and observations from the far side of the Moon.
Technical Achievements and Imagery
A significant technical component of the mission was the use of a novel laser-based communications system. This system allowed the Orion spacecraft to beam high-resolution visuals and data back to Earth in real-time, documenting milestones from the moment of launch.
NASA released a collection of images captured during the April 6 flyby, including:
- An
Earthset
photo captured at 6:41 p.m. ET, showing a blue Earth with white clouds setting behind the cratered lunar surface, specifically featuring the Ohm crater. - An
Earthrise
image captured at 7:22 p.m. ET, recreating a visual similar to the 1968 Apollo 8 mission. - A photograph of a solar eclipse, where the Moon fully eclipsed the sun near the end of the flyby.
Return and Recovery
The return phase began on Flight Day 9 with a second return correction burn at 10:53 p.m. ET. On Flight Day 10, the crew performed a final burn at 2:53 p.m. EDT. This 8-second thruster ignition produced a velocity change of 4.2 feet-per-second, pushing the spacecraft toward Earth.
The Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean and was subsequently secured in the well deck of the USS John P. Murtha at 4:27 a.m. ET. The recovery process ensured the safe return of Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen.
Strategic Context of Artemis II
Artemis II serves as a critical test flight in NASA’s broader strategy to prepare for human missions to Mars. While the Orion spacecraft provided the capability for the crew to orbit and fly by the Moon, it is noted that the capsule does not have the capacity to land on the lunar surface.
By successfully completing the lunar flyby and testing the laser-based communication systems, NASA has advanced its path toward establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon for scientific discovery and exploration.