Artemis II: Humanity Returns to Deep Space

In April 2026, NASA launched Artemis II — the first mission to carry human beings around the Moon since the legendary Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. For the first time in over half a century, humans traveled to the vicinity of another world, flying aboard the Orion spacecraft on a free-return trajectory around the Moon before returning safely to Earth.

The Artemis II Crew

• Reid Wiseman (Commander, USA) — NASA astronaut and former Chief of the Astronaut Office
• Victor Glover (Pilot, USA) — NASA astronaut, first African American to serve on a lunar mission crew
• Christina Koch (Mission Specialist, USA) — Holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman (328 days on the ISS), and the first woman to fly on a lunar mission
• Jeremy Hansen (Mission Specialist, Canada) — Canadian Space Agency astronaut; the first non-American astronaut to fly on a lunar mission

What Is a Free-Return Trajectory?

Artemis II used a free-return trajectory — an orbital path that uses the Moon's gravity to naturally slingshot the spacecraft back to Earth without requiring additional engine burns. This is the same type of trajectory used by Apollo 8 and originally planned for Apollo 13. It's the safest option for a crewed lunar flyby because the spacecraft will return home even if the main engine fails.

The Orion Spacecraft

The crew traveled aboard NASA's Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, a deep-space capsule designed from the outset for missions beyond low Earth orbit. Orion is significantly larger than the Apollo Command Module — it can carry four astronauts versus Apollo's three, and has improved life support, radiation shielding, and navigation systems. It is launched atop the Space Launch System (SLS), NASA's most powerful rocket since the Saturn V.

Why Artemis II Matters

• Crewed systems validation: Tested Orion's life support, navigation, and communication systems with actual astronauts aboard for the first time
• Radiation data: Gathered the most detailed data yet on the radiation environment human beings experience during deep space flight
• Groundwork for Artemis III: Artemis III will attempt the first crewed Moon landing since Apollo 17 — the next step in returning humans to the lunar surface
• Lunar Gateway: Future Artemis missions will construct a small space station in lunar orbit (the Lunar Gateway) to serve as a staging point for Moon landings and, eventually, missions to Mars

Artemis vs. Apollo: What's Different?

While Apollo was driven by the Cold War Space Race, the Artemis program is designed for long-term, sustainable lunar presence. Key differences include international partnerships (through the Artemis Accords with over 40 nations), commercial partnerships (SpaceX provides the Human Landing System), a focus on the lunar south pole (where water ice is suspected), and the goal of establishing the infrastructure to eventually go to Mars.