CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The first crewed mission to the Moon in over half a century is officially underway, commencing humanity’s return to deep space.
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Now marking the first time astronauts will travel beyond low Earth orbit since 1972; serving as a critical human-rated flight test for the Orion spacecraft’s life-support systems.
Artemis II is set to be the bridge between the uncrewed Artemis I & future landings. Helping establish a sustainable long-term human presence on the Moon, as a base for future Mars exploration.
READ: NASA Releases Artemis II Moon Mission Launch Countdown.
Launching the Artemis II Moon rocket will lift off the agency’s first crewed mission under the Artemis program, testing the systems that will return astronauts to the Moon for an enduring presence, and paving the way to human exploration of Mars.
READ: NASA’s Artemis II Moon Mission Daily Agenda.
About eight minutes after Artemis II lifts off, the Orion spacecraft and its crew, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, will be in space.
We’re launching Artemis II during America’s 250th year. 🇺🇸
— NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (@NASAAdmin) March 31, 2026
Honored to celebrate it with @Freedom250. pic.twitter.com/wiSL867936
The approximately 10-day test flight will be packed with activity as the astronauts venture around the Moon and back, with teams checking out Orion’s systems along the way.
The final day of the Artemis II mission is focused on getting the crew safely home. A final return trajectory correction burn will ensure Orion is on the right path for splashdown, and the crew will return their cabin to its original set up – with equipment stowed and seats in place – and get back into their spacesuits.
As part of Golden Age of innovation and exploration, NASA will send Artemis astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.
Stay tuned to all NASA socials for any possible mission updates; to learn more about NASA’s Artemis program visit: HERE.
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