NASA set to launch Artemis II, first crewed moon mission in decades
NASA is set to launch its first crewed mission to the moon in more than 50 years. Artemis II will send four astronauts on a 10-day flight around the moon, with liftoff targeted for Wednesday evening.
The flight won’t land on the lunar surface, but instead it will test the Orion spacecraft and systems NASA will use to return astronauts to the moon later this decade.
Flight sends crew beyond far side of moon
The Artemis II crew will travel about 244,000 miles from Earth and fly roughly 5,000 miles beyond the far side of the moon before returning. The spacecraft will follow a free-return trajectory, using the moon’s gravity to carry it back toward Earth.
NASA will use the mission to test life support, navigation, and flight systems in deep space before attempting a landing.
Crew includes firsts beyond Earth orbit
The four-person crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
“Artemis is building on an already solid legacy,” Wiseman said. “If we look backwards in time just a little bit, right now, our crews are on the International Space Station learning how to truly work off of the planet. How does the human body perform? How do we resupply this International Space station? These are lessons that will be critical on the moon as we look forward.”
Hansen will become the first non-American astronaut to travel beyond low Earth orbit. Koch is set to become the first woman to fly that far from Earth.
“When the president of the Canadian Space Agency called me and officially proclaimed to me that I would be flying on Artemis II and then sharing that with my wife and three kids was also a very special moment for me,” Hansen said. “Watching their excitement as I pursue a dream of mine.”
The crew draws from long missions in space, military aviation, and work aboard the International Space Station.
Launch teams complete final checks
Engineers have completed final system checks on the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. Teams charged flight batteries, verified engine performance, and completed safety checks on the astronauts’ pressure suits.
NASA puts the chance of favorable weather at about 80% for liftoff.
Mission clears path for future landings
Artemis II is the first crewed flight in NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon and establish a sustained presence near the lunar south pole.
Future missions aim for a lunar landing later this decade, followed by longer stays and infrastructure on the moon.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
