NASACommander
Reid Wiseman
Leads the Artemis II crew, responsible for the safety of the flight and every decision from launch to splashdown.
The next era of exploration
HumanityReturns tothe Moon
Artemis II carries four astronauts on the first crewed flight around the Moon in over fifty years — a ten-day journey to the edge of deep space and back.
4
Crew members
~10
Days in flight
8,900
km beyond the Moon
1972
Last crewed lunar flight
The Mission
A test flight that changes everything
Artemis II is the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis program. Four astronauts will ride the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft on a path that takes them farther than any human has travelled since the Apollo era — around the Moon and back.
Free-return trajectory
Orion loops around the far side of the Moon and lets gravity carry the crew safely home.
Deep-space proving ground
Every system is tested in the harsh radiation and vacuum beyond low-Earth orbit.
Paving the way to land
Artemis II clears the path for the crewed landings of Artemis III and the missions beyond.
The Crew
Four explorers, one journey
The men and women who will carry humanity back toward the Moon, each with a defining role aboard Orion.
NASA
NASAPilot
Victor Glover
Pilots Orion through translunar injection and the free-return trajectory around the far side of the Moon.
NASAMission Specialist
Christina Koch
Record-holder for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, now bound to become the first woman near the Moon.
CSAMission Specialist
Jeremy Hansen
The first Canadian to fly to the Moon, representing international partnership in deep-space exploration.
Mission Timeline
Ten days, around the Moon
Follow the flight from the roar of launch to the splashdown that brings the crew home.
T-00:008 minutes to orbit
Launch from Pad 39B
The SLS rocket lifts Orion and its crew off the Kennedy Space Center launch pad with 4 million kg of thrust.
Phase 01~24 hours
Earth Orbit Checkout
Orion circles Earth while the crew verifies every life-support, navigation, and propulsion system.
Phase 02Single burn
Translunar Injection
A precise engine burn slingshots Orion out of Earth orbit and onto a course for the Moon.
Phase 03~4 days
Outbound Cruise
The crew coasts through deep space, the farthest humans will have travelled from Earth in over fifty years.
Phase 04Closest approach
Lunar Far-Side Flyby
Orion swings around the far side of the Moon on a free-return trajectory, reaching the mission's deepest point.
Phase 05~4 days home
Return & Splashdown
Orion re-enters the atmosphere at nearly 40,000 km/h and splashes down in the Pacific Ocean.
The Spacecraft
Orion — built for deep space
The most advanced crew vehicle ever built, engineered to carry humans farther than ever before and bring them safely home.
01
Crew Module
Pressurized cabin built to keep four astronauts alive across deep space, with the most heat-resistant shield ever flown.
02
European Service Module
Provides propulsion, power, water, and air — the engine room that carries Orion to the Moon and back.
03
Solar Arrays
Four wings of solar panels generate enough power to supply two homes throughout the entire mission.
04
Launch Abort System
A tower atop Orion ready to pull the crew to safety in milliseconds during the most dangerous moments of ascent.
Journey to the Moon
From Earth to lunar orbit
Roughly 380,000 kilometres each way. Scroll to trace Orion’s path across the void between two worlds.
EarthMoonBe part of it
Follow the next era of space exploration
Artemis II is just the beginning. Stay with the mission as humanity reaches for the Moon, and then for Mars.