Reid Wiseman
CommanderU.S. Navy Captain and NASA astronaut. Previously served as ISS Expedition 41 flight engineer (2014) logging 165 days in space. Former Navy test pilot.
Artemis Program
Crewed Flyby
Artemis II
First crewed Artemis mission. Four astronauts will fly a 10-day journey around the Moon and return to Earth.
Mission Overview
Artemis II will be humanity's first crewed voyage to the Moon since Apollo 17 in December 1972 — more than 53 years ago. While the mission will not land on the lunar surface, four astronauts will fly around the Moon in the Orion spacecraft, traveling approximately 685,000 miles over roughly 10 days.
The mission serves as a critical test of Orion's life support systems with a crew aboard, validating everything from environmental controls to navigation and communication systems in deep space. It will also test manual control of the spacecraft, a capability essential for future Artemis landing missions.
Artemis II follows the successful uncrewed Artemis I mission, which flew the same trajectory in late 2022. However, Artemis I revealed unexpected erosion and cracking in Orion's heat shield — issues that required extensive analysis and fixes before putting a crew aboard, contributing to schedule delays.
Technical Overview
Mission Duration
~10 days
Total Distance
685,000 mi
1,102,000 km
Crew Size
4
Astronauts
Closest Lunar Approach
~6,400 mi
~10,300 km from surface
Launch Vehicle Height
322 ft
98.1 m — SLS Block 1
SLS Thrust at Liftoff
8.8 M lbf
39.1 MN
Orion Mass
57,770 lb
26,200 kg (with ESM)
Heat Shield Diameter
16.5 ft
5.03 m — largest ever built
Re-entry Speed
24,500 mph
Mach 32 — 39,400 km/h
Habitable Volume
316 ft³
8.95 m³
Mission Objectives
01
Crewed Lunar Flyby
Send four astronauts on a free-return trajectory around the Moon — the first crewed voyage beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in December 1972.
02
Test Life Support Systems
Validate Orion's Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) with a crew aboard during deep space transit, including CO2 scrubbing, temperature regulation, and water recovery.
03
Validate Crewed Operations
Test manual piloting of Orion, crew interfaces, communication links with Mission Control, and emergency procedures in the deep space environment.
04
Heat Shield Verification
Validate the modified heat shield following the unexpected charring and erosion discovered during Artemis I re-entry at Mach 32 — with crew safety on the line.
05
Navigation & Communication
Demonstrate deep space navigation accuracy and high-bandwidth communication between Orion, the Deep Space Network, and Mission Control in Houston.
06
Pave the Way for Artemis III
Certify Orion and SLS for crewed lunar missions, enabling the Artemis III landing mission — the first crewed lunar surface mission in over 50 years.
Spacecraft
Spacecraft diagram coming soon
01
Launch Abort System (LAS)
Solid rocket motor tower capable of pulling the crew module away from SLS in the event of a launch emergency, generating 400,000 lbf of thrust.
02
Crew Module
Pressurized capsule housing four astronauts. Contains flight deck, crew accommodations, and the AVCOAT heat shield — the largest ever built at 16.5 ft diameter.
03
European Service Module (ESM)
Built by Airbus for ESA. Provides propulsion (OMS-E engine, 33 auxiliary thrusters), power (four solar arrays generating 11.1 kW), thermal control, and consumables storage.
04
Solar Array Wings
Four deployable solar arrays spanning 62 ft (19 m) tip-to-tip, providing all electrical power during the mission. Each wing has three panels with triple-junction solar cells.
05
Orbital Maneuvering System Engine
Main engine derived from the Space Shuttle's OMS engine, producing 6,000 lbf of thrust. Powers major maneuvers including trans-lunar injection correction and return burns.
Crew
Victor Glover
PilotU.S. Navy Captain and NASA astronaut. Flew on SpaceX Crew-1 to the ISS (2020-2021), logging 167 days in space. First person of color assigned to a lunar mission.
Christina Koch
Mission SpecialistNASA astronaut and electrical engineer. Holds the record for longest single spaceflight by a woman (328 days, ISS 2019-2020). Conducted first all-female spacewalk.
Jeremy Hansen
Mission SpecialistCanadian Armed Forces Colonel and CSA astronaut. First Canadian assigned to a lunar mission. Former CF-18 fighter pilot. Selected by CSA in 2009. This will be his first spaceflight.
Mission Updates
SLS Rolled Back to VAB for Helium Repairs, Launch Slips to April
NASA rolled the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft from Launch Pad 39B back to the Vehicle Assembly Building after discovering a helium pressurization issue with the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage. The March 6 launch date was abandoned, with the next available window opening in April 2026. Crew members were released from pre-launch quarantine.
Read SourceSuccessful Second Wet Dress Rehearsal
NASA successfully fueled the SLS rocket and demonstrated the launch countdown during a second wet dress rehearsal. Engineers loaded more than 700,000 gallons of liquid propellant, closed Orion's hatches, and completed two runs of terminal count. Hydrogen concentrations remained under allowable limits, resolving the issue from the first WDR.
Read SourceNASA Conducts On-Pad Repairs, Eyes March for Launch
Following the scrubbed wet dress rehearsal, technicians replaced two seals at the tail service mast umbilical where elevated hydrogen concentrations were detected. NASA is planning additional testing at Stennis Space Center and a follow-on fueling test before setting an official launch date, with March 2026 as the earliest potential window.
Read SourceWet Dress Rehearsal Scrubbed After Hydrogen Leak
NASA concluded a wet dress rehearsal for Artemis II after successfully loading cryogenic propellant into the SLS tanks but encountering a liquid hydrogen leak at the tail service mast umbilical. The countdown was automatically stopped at approximately T-5 minutes due to a spike in hydrogen leak rates. NASA ruled out a February launch and is now targeting no earlier than March 2026.
Read SourceCrew Enters Quarantine at Kennedy Space Center
The four Artemis II astronauts — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen — have entered pre-flight quarantine at Kennedy Space Center, preparing for what was then a February 7 launch target.
Read SourceSLS Rocket Reaches Launch Pad 39B
NASA's Artemis II SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft arrived at Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center after a nearly 12-hour, 4-mile journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building.
Read SourceArtemis II Delayed to 2026
NASA announced Artemis II has been rescheduled from late 2024 to April 2026. Delays stem from addressing the unexpected erosion and cracking discovered in Orion's heat shield during Artemis I re-entry.
Read Source