NASA is gearing up to launch a team of four astronauts on a 10-day expedition around the Moon in early 2026. This upcoming mission, named Artemis II, signifies humanity’s inaugural crewed venture beyond Earth’s orbit in over 50 years.
Artemis II is tailored to propel astronauts deeper into space than any previous human expedition. Although the mission won’t touch down on the lunar surface, it serves as a pivotal stride towards an eventual landing as part of the Artemis program, which targets human Moon landings later in the decade.
In Florida, NASA has commenced the final stage of readiness. The towering 98-meter Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, carrying the Orion spacecraft, has been relocated from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center. Now that the rocket is in place, teams will undertake a series of ultimate verifications, tests, and a comprehensive rehearsal mimicking launch conditions.
NASA authorities have identified February 6, 2026, as the earliest feasible launch date for Artemis II, with additional launch windows open later in February, as well as in March and April.
The crew for Artemis II comprises NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman as the commander, Victor Glover as the pilot, and Christina Koch, accompanied by Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency. The astronauts are currently under pre-launch quarantine in Houston as preparations progress.
Following the uncrewed Artemis I mission, which took off in November 2022 and completed a successful orbit around the Moon before returning to Earth after 25 days in space, Artemis II aims to become the first crewed mission to circumnavigate the Moon since Apollo 17 in December 1972.
