.jpg) TheOrion spacecraft and itsEuropean Service Module for the Artemis II mission being prepared for launch in March 2025 | |
| Names |
|
|---|---|
| Mission type | Crewed lunar flyby |
| Operator | NASA |
| Mission duration | 10 days(planned) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | CM-003Integrity[1] |
| Spacecraft type | Orion MPCV |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 4 |
| Members | |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | NET February 5, 2026[2] |
| Rocket | Space Launch System Block 1 |
| Launch site | Kennedy Space Center,LC-39B[3] |
| End of mission | |
| Recovered by | U.S. Navy (San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock) |
| Landing date | NET February 15, 2026 |
| Landing site | Pacific Ocean(planned) |
| Flyby ofMoon | |
| Distance | 6,400 mi (10,300 km)(planned)[4] |
 Artemis II mission patch  Official crew portrait,clockwise from left:Koch,Glover,Hansen andWiseman | |
Artemis II is a planned lunarspaceflight mission under theArtemis program, led byNASA. It is intended to be the second flight of theSpace Launch System (SLS), and is both the first crewed mission of theOrion spacecraft and the first crewed mission to the vicinity of theMoon sinceApollo 17 in 1972. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than February 5, 2026.
The 10-day mission will carry NASA astronautsReid Wiseman,Victor Glover, andChristina Koch, along withJeremy Hansen of theCanadian Space Agency, on afree-return trajectory around the Moon and back to Earth.
Artemis II was originally designatedExploration Mission-2 (EM-2) and was initially intended to support the now-canceledAsteroid Redirect Mission. Its objectives were revised following the establishment of the Artemis program.
In 2017, Exploration Mission-2 was a projected single-launch mission of aSpace Launch System (SLS) Block 1B rocket with anExploration Upper Stage, lunar Block 1 Orion spacecraft, and a payload insertion of 50.7tonnes (55.9short tons; 112,000 lb). The plan was to rendezvous with an asteroid previously placed in lunar orbit by the roboticAsteroid Redirect Mission and have astronauts perform spacewalks and gather samples.[5][6] After the cancellation in April 2017[7] of the Asteroid Redirect Mission, an 8-day mission was proposed with a crew of four astronauts, sent on afree-return trajectory around the Moon.[8] Another proposal suggested in 2017 was to take four astronauts aboard Orion on an 8-to-21–day trip around the Moon to deliver the first element of theDeep Space Gateway.[9] In March 2018, it was decided to launch the firstGateway module on a commercial launch vehicle[10] because of delays in building theMobile Launcher needed to hold the more powerful Exploration Upper Stage.[11] The launcher was selected to be the SpaceXFalcon Heavy.[12]
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On February 11, 2023, NASA rotated the Artemis II core stage's engine section to a horizontal position, marking the final major milestone before integration with the rest of the vehicle. On March 20, the engine section was mated with the core stage in Building 103 at theMichoud Assembly Facility inNew Orleans. NASA initially expected to deliver the completed core stage to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in summer 2023,[13] but by May, the timeline had shifted to late fall 2023.[14][15]
RS-25 engines with serial numbers E2047, E2059, E2062, and E2063 were installed on the core stage in New Orleans by September 25, 2023.[16][17] However, after a leak was discovered in its oxygen valve hydraulics, engine E2063 was replaced with E2061 in April 2025.[18]
In June 2024, NASA announced that the fully outfitted core stage was scheduled for delivery to KSC in July, which was successfully carried out from the 16th to the 25th.[19][20][21] The adapters required for integration of the full launch vehicle also reached substantial completion in June 2024 and arrived at KSC in September 2024.[22][23]
The Artemis II crew was announced on April 3, 2023, by NASA AdministratorBill Nelson during his "State of NASA" address at a NASA facility atEllington Field outsideHouston,[24] and the crew made a public appearance that evening at nearbyNRG Stadium during the2023 March Madness championship game.[25]
NASA had originally targeted September 2024 to begin rocket stacking operations. However, the schedule was delayed by more than two months due to investigations into issues with Orion's life support system and unexpected damage to Orion'sheat shield observed after theArtemis I reentry.[26] Rocket stacking finally began on November 20, 2024.[27] Stacking was completed on October 20, 2025 with the installation of the fully integrated Orion, ESM and launch abort system atop the SLS rocket.[28]
During preliminary reviews in 2011, the launch date was placed somewhere between 2019 and 2021, but afterwards the launch date was delayed to 2023.[29][30] In January 2024, the mission was expected to launch in September 2025.[31] However, in October 2024, theNASA Office of Inspector General determined that theExploration Ground Systems team had already used up their time reserved for resolving any unforeseen issues, leading the office to determine that the September 2025 launch date would likely be delayed.[26] In December 2024, outgoing Administrator Nelson announced that the launch was delayed due to the months of engineering investigations into issues with the life support system and heat shield, but they were targeting a launch in April 2026.[32][33]
In March 2025, AmericaSpace reported that the mission might be accelerated, with the launch date potentially moved up by two months to February 2026. NASA responded in a statement, saying it could not confirm the revised date but noted, "We’re looking for ways to enable an earlier launch if possible, potentially launching as soon as February 2026. A February target allows the agency to capitalize on efficiencies in the flow of operations to integrate the SLS rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems while maintaining crew safety as the top priority."[34] By August 2025, more mainstream outlets such asNASASpaceflight, journalistEric Berger and US Senator and former astronautMark Kelly also reported that the mission had been moved up to February 2026.[35][36] In September, space agency officials announced that they are pursuing a launch window that opens on February 5, 2026.[2]
For the launch of lunar missions there are both monthlywindows of a few days duration each lunar month, and daily windows lasting a few hours on days within the monthly window.[37] The revised Artemis II plan, which calls for Orion to conduct a shorter skipreentry, further constrains the days within a monthly window during which a launch can be conducted.[38]
| Position | Astronaut | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander |  Reid Wiseman,NASASecond spaceflight | |
| Pilot | Victor Glover, NASA Second spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 1 | Christina Koch, NASA Second spaceflight | |
| Mission Specialist 2 |  Jeremy Hansen,CSAFirst spaceflight | |
| Position | Astronaut | |
|---|---|---|
| Mission Specialist | Andre Douglas, NASA | |
| Mission Specialist | Jenni Gibbons, CSA | |
Artemis II will be crewed by four astronauts: commanderReid Wiseman, pilotVictor Glover, and mission specialistChristina Koch, all from NASA, along with mission specialistJeremy Hansen from theCanadian Space Agency.[39] On November 22, 2023,Jenni Gibbons was named as Hansen's backup,[40] and on July 3, 2024,Andre Douglas was named backup for the three NASA astronauts.[41]
Glover will become the first person of color, Koch the first woman, and Hansen the first non-American to travel to the Moon. Hansen and Gibbons, both fromCanada, were selected by the Canadian Space Agency as part of a 2020 treaty between the United States and Canada that facilitated their participation in the Artemis program.[39][42]
The Artemis II mission plan is to send four astronauts in the first crewedOrion spacecraft into a lunar flyby using the Block 1 variant of theSpace Launch System. The mission profile is a multi-trans-lunar injection (MTLI), or multiple departure burns, and includes a free-return trajectory from the Moon. The Orion spacecraft will be sent to ahigh Earth orbit with a period of roughly 24 hours. During this time the crew will perform various checkouts of the spacecraft's life support systems as well as an in-space rendezvous and proximity operations demonstration using the spentInterim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) as a target. When Orion reachesperigee once again, it will fire its main engine to complete the TLI maneuver, which will send it onto a lunarfree-return trajectory, before returning to Earth.[4][43]
Artemis II will test and demonstrate optical communications to and from Earth using the Orion Artemis II Optical Communications System (O2O).[44] The O2O hardware will be integrated into the Orion spacecraft and includes an optical module (a 4-inch [100 mm] telescope and two gimbals), modem and control electronics.[44] O2O will communicate with ground stations in California and New Mexico.[44] The test device will send data to Earth with a downlink rate of up to 260megabits per second.[45]
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Artemis II's trajectory can be divided into several key phases, over an approximately ten day trip:[46][47]
NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) originally sought proposals in 2019 from U.S. institutions and companies to flyCubeSat missions assecondary payloads aboard the SLS on the Artemis II mission.[48][49] NASA planned to accept 6-unit (12 kg, 26 lb) and 12-unit (20 kg, 44 lb) CubeSats,[50] which would be mounted on the inside of the stage adapter ring between the SLS upper stage and the Orion spacecraft, deploying after Orion separated into high Earth orbit.[50] Although selections were initially expected by February 2020,[48] all secondary payloads were removed from the mission in October 2021.[51]
In September 2024, NASA announced that it would fly five CubeSats from international partners aboard the Artemis II mission. The payloads, selected from nations that are signatories of theArtemis Accords, are intended to advance global scientific and technological research while broadening international access to deep space. The first CubeSat selected was Germany'sTACHELES, which will examine the impact of space conditions on electrical components used in lunar vehicles.[52] In May 2025, NASA announced that it had selected theATENEA satellite fromArgentina'sNational Space Activities Commission to join the mission, with goals to study radiation shielding, map the surrounding radiation environment, gatherGPS data for mission planning, and test a long-distance communication system. CubeSats from theKorea Aerospace Research Institute and theSaudi Space Agency are also slated to fly, with all five payloads bound forHigh Earth orbit.[53]
To raise public awareness, NASAprovided a website for members of the public to obtain a digital souvenir boarding pass for the mission. Before January 21, 2026, people can enter their names online which will be stored on anSD digital memory card inside the Orion spacecraft when it flies around the moon. The website produces a "boarding pass" image for downloading bearing the name or text entered by the website visitor.[54]
In December 1968, theApollo 8 mission, crewed by astronautsFrank Borman,Jim Lovell, andWilliam Anders, flew theircommand and service module beyond low Earth orbit and completed ten orbits of the Moon. Similar to the planned Artemis II mission in that it was crewed and did not land, it differed by being placed into orbit.[55]Apollo 13 (1970) was the only Apollo mission, and only crewed spaceflight to date, that flew past the Moon by afree-return trajectory.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.Supports launch of the Power and Propulsion Element on a commercial launch vehicle as the first component of the LOP – Gateway
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.NASA is seeking proposals from U.S. small satellite developers to fly their CubeSat missions as secondary payloads aboard the SLS on the Artemis 2 mission under the agency's CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI)
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.NASA on August 5 released a solicitation for cubesats to ride along with the first crewed flight of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule, with the caveat that selected projects fill strategic knowledge gaps for future lunar and Mars exploration
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