KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — April 2, 2026 — NASA’s Artemis II mission roared into the Florida sky yesterday evening, sending four astronauts on humanity’s first crewed journey beyond low-Earth orbit in more than half a century.
The Space Launch System rocket lifted off flawlessly from Launch Complex 39B at 6:35 p.m. EDT on April 1, carrying Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen aboard the Orion spacecraft. The historic flight marks the first time humans have traveled toward the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.
For the next 10 days, the international crew will loop around the far side of the Moon, venturing as far as 4,160 miles above its surface. The primary goal is to put Orion through its paces in deep space: testing life-support systems, navigation, communication, and the spacecraft’s heat shield, which will protect the crew during the fiery return to Earth at more than 24,500 mph.
“Everything looks nominal,” NASA officials reported in the first hours after launch. Early telemetry shows all four crew members are healthy and Orion is performing exactly as expected.
The mission builds directly on the success of the uncrewed Artemis I flight in 2022, which proved the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft could travel to the Moon and return safely. Artemis II now adds the critical human element, collecting real-time data on how the vehicle behaves with a crew aboard.
“This is the next giant leap in our return to the Moon,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in a statement shortly after liftoff. “Artemis II isn’t just a test flight—it’s the bridge to sustained lunar exploration and, one day, the first human footsteps on Mars.”
Once the crew returns, NASA will use the data to certify Orion for Artemis III, the mission that will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface near the south pole, currently targeted for 2027.
The multinational crew reflects the growing global nature of lunar exploration. Wiseman, a veteran Navy captain and former ISS astronaut, leads the mission. Glover, the first Black astronaut to pilot a spacecraft, previously flew on the SpaceX Crew-1 mission. Koch holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman. Hansen, the first Canadian to fly beyond low-Earth orbit, rounds out the team.
As Orion continues its voyage, the world is watching. Live updates, crew messages, and stunning images from the far side of the Moon are expected in the coming days.
For the first time in 53 years, humans are once again headed for the Moon—not just to visit, but to stay.
