FAJAEDE / Artemis II
Crewed lunar mission • Artemis II

Track Artemis II from launch onward

Artemis II lifted off on April 1, 2026 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center with four astronauts aboard, beginning the first crewed lunar flyby mission in more than 50 years. NASA describes the mission as an approximately 10-day test flight that advances the Artemis program toward future Moon landings. [page:1]

Open NASA Artemis II Explore media links
April 1, 2026 Launch at 6:35 p.m. EDT from Florida. [page:1]
4 astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. [page:1]
About 10 days Planned mission duration from launch through splashdown. [page:1]

Mission overview

After launch, Orion entered an initial orbit around Earth before the mission profile continued toward a translunar injection burn and a lunar flyby. NASA says the flight is designed to return to Earth for a Pacific Ocean splashdown after completing the deep-space objectives. [page:1]

Crew on board

  • Reid Wiseman — NASA astronaut. [page:1]
  • Victor Glover — NASA astronaut. [page:1]
  • Christina Koch — NASA astronaut. [page:1]
  • Jeremy Hansen — Canadian Space Agency astronaut. [page:1]

Timeline since launch

Launch

NASA launched Artemis II from Launch Complex 39B in Florida with Orion atop the Space Launch System rocket. [page:1]

Early flight

Following ascent, Orion deployed its solar arrays and transitioned into early mission operations with the crew in orbit. [page:1]

High Earth orbit

NASA outlined a mission path that includes a high Earth orbit extending roughly 46,000 miles beyond Earth along with manual piloting demonstrations and system checks. [page:1]

Lunar flyby

The mission includes a pass around the Moon, giving the crew a chance to capture imagery and observe areas including parts of the far side. [page:1]

Return

After the lunar flyby, Artemis II is scheduled to return to Earth and splash down in the Pacific Ocean. [page:1]

Photos and video

Photo

NASA launch image

Official NASA launch image showing Artemis II rising from Kennedy Space Center. [page:1]

Open photo
Video

Official launch broadcast

NASA's official Artemis II launch broadcast was published on YouTube on March 31, 2026. [web:2]

Watch launch video
Video

Moon flyby broadcast

NASA also published an official broadcast covering the Artemis II crew as they flew around the Moon on April 3, 2026. [web:5]

Watch flyby coverage
Highlights

Flight Day 5 recap

NASA published a Flight Day 5 highlights video for visitors who want a shorter recap of the mission. [web:7]

Watch highlights
Photos

Earth imagery from Artemis II

NBC reported on striking Earth photos captured during the mission's historic lunar journey. [web:9]

View article
Updates

NASA daily news conference

NASA released a daily Artemis II news conference on April 5, 2026 with additional mission updates. [web:10]

Open press briefing
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