NASA Artemis II: Orion’s Historic Journey to the Moon

NASA’s Artemis II mission has successfully departed Earth orbit, marking the first time humans have ventured toward the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The mission serves as a critical test of deep space systems, paving the way for future lunar surface landings and eventual crewed missions to Mars.

The mission launched on April 1, 2026, at 6:35 p.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The flight utilizes the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft to carry a crew of four astronauts on a planned 10-day lunar flyby.

Translunar Injection and Trajectory

On April 2, 2026, the Orion spacecraft completed a pivotal technical milestone known as the translunar injection burn. This maneuver involved an approximately six-minute firing of the spacecraft’s service module engine, which provided the necessary acceleration for the crew to break free of Earth’s orbit and begin their outbound trajectory toward the Moon.

Today, for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972, humans have departed Earth orbit. Reid, Victor, Christina and Jeremy now are on a precise trajectory toward the Moon. Orion is operating with crew for the first time in space, and we are gathering critical data, and learning from each step.

Dr. Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters

As of April 4, 2026, the crew is nearly halfway to their destination. Lakiesha Hawkins, acting deputy associate administrator for NASA’s exploration systems, reported during a news conference on April 3, 2026, that the spacecraft is more than 100,000 miles from Earth and approximately 150,000 miles away from the Moon.

Crew and Spacecraft Capabilities

The Artemis II crew consists of four astronauts representing international cooperation in deep space exploration:

• Commander Reid Wiseman (NASA)
• Victor Glover (NASA)
• Christina Koch (NASA)
• Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency)

The Orion spacecraft is the primary exploration vehicle for the Artemis program. It is engineered to sustain a crew during long-duration missions to the Moon and is a prerequisite for future journeys to Mars. This mission builds upon the success of the uncrewed Artemis I flight conducted in 2022, shifting the focus to testing human-rated deep space capabilities.

Beyond the mechanical systems, the mission is capturing unique scientific and visual data. Commander Reid Wiseman recently photographed Earth from a window of the Orion spacecraft. According to Hawkins, the image features a backlit Earth revealing auroras and zodiacal light visible as the Earth eclipses the sun.

Mission Objectives and Future Outlook

The primary objective of the 10-day test flight is to demonstrate the broad range of capabilities required for long-term lunar return. This includes testing the life support systems of the Orion spacecraft and the performance of the SLS rocket under crewed conditions.

The data gathered during this flyby is intended to ensure the safety and viability of future missions that will land astronauts on the lunar surface. By validating these deep space systems, NASA aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon as a stepping stone for further exploration of the solar system.