Artemis-2 Lunar Mission
The Artemis-2 mission will be carrying astronauts around the Moon and returning them safely to Earth. They will follow a similar flight plan for the crewed mission to the surface. It is a dress rehearsal for the human lunar landing mission that is the Artemis-3 mission.
The Artemis-2 mission is currently scheduled to launch in April 2026.
Artemis-2 is the first scheduled crewed mission of Artemis, although the astronauts will not step out on the Moon. It is the dry run for the actual mission. Following the steps taken by the last demonstration mission, the Artemis-2 mission would stay in Earth orbit for 42 hours to test the capabilities of the spacecraft’s Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) before committing astronauts to the lunar landing mission. The crew will go into lunar orbit, traveling 4,600 miles beyond the far side of the Moon. They will be able to see the Earth and the Moon from the spacecraft. Orion will perform a Return Trajectory Adjustment (RTA) burn that will send the spacecraft back to Earth. When the Orion spacecraft reaches Earth it will separate from the Service Module and the astronauts will plummet through the atmosphere protected by the spacecraft's heat shield that will withstand temperatures up to 5,000 degrees F during re-entry. The parachutes will be deployed and Orion will splash down in the Pacific Ocean. This mission should last just over 10 days.
The Crew
Announced on April 3, 2023, NASA named the astronauts that are launching aboard Artemis-2. NASA astronauts include commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), mission specialist Jeremy Hansen.
Reid Wiseman served as a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station (ISS) during Expedition 41 in 2014, successfully completing two spacewalks. Artemis-2 will be Victor Glover's second spaceflight, he previously served as pilot on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission. He performed as a flight engineer aboard the ISS during Expedition 64, making four spacewalks. Christina Koch is also making her second flight into space. She served as flight engineer aboard the ISS during Expedition 59, 60, and 61, setting a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman - - 328 days in space! Christina also participated in the first all-female spacewalks. Representing Canada, Jeremy Hansen is making his first spaceflight. He was as an astronaut recruit by CSA in May 2009. He has served as Capcom in NASA's Mission Control Center at Johnson and was the first Canadian selected to lead a NASA training astronaut class.
The primary crew for Artemis-II (as pictured above) includes Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist for the Canadian Space Agency, NASA astronauts Victor Glover, as pilot, Reid Wiseman, mission commander, and Christina Koch, mission specialist.
This image shows NASA's plan for Artemis II, provided by NASA, a high resolution image can be found at their website.
Highlights of Artemis-II Preparations
August 19, 2025 | The Artemis II Orion Stage Adapter arrived at NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida for to complete the final stacking.
The stage adapter was built and tested Marshall Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama several days at Launch Complex 39B. The Orion stage adapter connects to the SLS rocket’s Interim Cryogenic Propulsion stage to the Orion spacecraft.
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August 11, 2025 | Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) at NASA Kennedy Space Center tested Artemis II's emergency egress system several days at Launch Complex 39B.
In the event of a real emergency, astronauts would use emergency egress baskets. The baskets are suspended on cables mounted on the mobile launcher to the edge of the launch pad. The 1,335-foot-long cables will whisk the crew away from the launch vehicle to the perimeter of the pad where emergency response vehicles can drive them to safety. The test also reviewed how the crew would interact with the emergency responders.
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July 24, 2025 | The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket core stage for the Artemis II mission was moved inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida where it arrived from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana.
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March 23, 2025 | Another element of the SLS rocket for Artemis II is setup for flight. The core stage was lifted and stacked with the solid rocket boosters on the mobile launcher at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The core stage is the largest component of the rocket, standing 212 feet tall. It supports the launch vehicle stage adapter, interim cryogenic propulsion stage, the Orion stage adapter, and the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II mission. The core stage began its final check out on March 14.
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February 19, 2025 | Exploration Ground Systems completed stacking operations on the twin solid rocket boosters for the Artemis II SLS by integrating the nose cones on top of the five segments of the two boosters inside the Vehicle Assembly Building’s High Bay 3 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. During the three months of stacking operations, a massive overhead crane lifted 10 booster segments and nose cones, stacking two solid rocket boosters into place on the mobile launcher that will be used to launch the system when completed.
December 21, 2024 | The Artemis I Orion crew module returned to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida after an 11-month test campaign at the agency’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio.
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