Artemis II, NASA's boldest mission in generations, launches crew to the Moon
Four astronauts begin 9-day lunar voyage using most powerful rocket ever flown by humans.
NASA successfully launched the Artemis II mission from Kennedy Space Center, sending four astronauts on a historic journey around the Moon aboard the most powerful rocket ever flown by humans. The 322-foot Space Launch System generated 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, surpassing even the Saturn V rockets of the Apollo era. Commander Reid Wiseman leads the diverse crew including pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen on this nine-day voyage that marks humanity's return to lunar exploration after more than 50 years.
The mission represents a crucial test of NASA's $100 billion Artemis program, which positions the agency in direct competition with China's lunar ambitions. While Artemis II won't land on the Moon, it will test the complete transportation system and reach a record distance of 252,799 miles from Earth on April 6. The crew will conduct manual piloting demonstrations and life-support system checkouts while following a "free return" trajectory that uses lunar gravity to slingshot back to Earth. NASA is already working with commercial partners SpaceX and Blue Origin to develop human-rated landers for future surface missions, with Artemis IV currently targeted for 2028 to achieve the program's first crewed lunar landing.
- Artemis II launched with 8.8 million pounds of thrust from the 322-foot SLS rocket, making it the most powerful human-rated rocket ever flown
- The mission will reach 252,799 miles from Earth on April 6, farther than any human has ever traveled from our planet
- NASA's $100 billion Artemis program partners with SpaceX and Blue Origin for lunar landers, targeting 2028 for first crewed Moon landing since 1972
Why It Matters
This mission establishes NASA's lunar transportation system and positions the US in the new space race against China for Moon dominance.