Artemis 2

The Near Side of the Moon

The astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft captured this photo of the Moon’s near side on April 4, 2026. The image features dark patches at center and right; these are ancient lava flows, which are unique to this side of the Moon. The Artemis II astronauts – astronauts Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch of […]

Posted April 6, 2026

Artemis

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Earth

G. Reid Wiseman

Thinking of You, Earth

On April 4, 2026, NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft’s main cabin windows, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels towards the Moon. The Artemis II astronauts – Wiseman and fellow NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Victor Glover, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut […]

Posted April 5, 2026

Missions

Artemis

Artemis 2

Christina H. Koch

Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate

G. Reid Wiseman

Humans in Space

Victor J. Glover

NASA Answers Your Most Pressing Artemis II Questions

Editor’s Note: This article was updated at 5:50 p.m. EDT on Monday, April 6, 2026, to update the times for lunar flyby activities. Editor’s Note: This article was updated at 1:40 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 5, 2026, to correct the time for the distance record, and adjust other times for lunar flyby activities. The […]

Posted April 4, 2026

Artemis

Artemis 2

Christina H. Koch

Illuminated in Orion

NASA astronaut Christina Koch reads on a tablet in the dimly lit Orion crew capsule in this April 3, 2026, photo. To the right of the image’s center, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen is seen in profile peering out of one of Orion’s windows. Lights are turned off to avoid glare on the […]

Posted April 4, 2026

Artemis

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Earth's Moon

Goddard Space Flight Center

Johnson Space Center

Johnson's Mission Control Center

Lunar Science

Planetary Science Division

Science Mission Directorate

The Solar System

Meet NASA’s New Artemis II Science Officers

NASA’s first Artemis II science officers—Kelsey Young, Trevor Graff, and Angela Garcia—are pioneering a new era of mission operations by integrating advanced lunar science directly into Mission Control. Their work will shape how future Artemis crews observe, analyze, and deepen our understanding of the Moon.

Posted April 3, 2026

Artemis

Artemis 2

Earth

Hello, World

NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman took this picture of Earth from the Orion spacecraft’s window after completing the translunar injection burn. There are two auroras (top right and bottom left) and zodiacal light (bottom right) is visible as the Earth eclipses the Sun. This and another photo of Earth are the first […]

Posted April 3, 2026

Artemis 2

Artemis

Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate

Humans in Space

Missions

Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle

NASA’s Artemis II Mission Leaves Earth Orbit for Flight around Moon

For the first time in more than 50 years, astronauts on a NASA mission are bound to fly around the Moon after successfully completing a key burn of Orion’s main engine. With the approximately six-minute firing of the spacecraft’s service module engine on Thursday, known as the translunar injection burn, Orion and its crew of […]

Posted April 3, 2026

Artemis

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Kennedy Space Center

Artemis II Astronauts Launch to Moon

NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft lift off in this April 1, 2026, image. NASA’s Artemis II mission will take NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon and back aboard their Orion spacecraft.

Posted April 2, 2026

Artemis

Artemis 2

Humans in Space

Marshall Space Flight Center

Missions

Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle

Space Launch System (SLS)

Liftoff! NASA Launches Astronauts on Historic Artemis Moon Mission

Spurred by American ingenuity, astronauts on NASA’s Artemis II mission are in flight, preparing for the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years. NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:35 p.m. EDT Wednesday, sending four astronauts aboard the […]

Posted April 2, 2026

Artemis 2

International Space Station (ISS)

Godspeed, Artemis II!

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir took this photo of an Artemis program patch floating in the International Space Station’s cupola. She posted it on X on March 30, 2026, with the following caption: “Our work on the @Space_Station has provided the foundation to explore further, preparing us to return humans to the Moon this week. Stay […]

Posted March 31, 2026