Artemis

Description Staff at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California watch the launch of the agency’s Artemis II mission to the Moon on April 1, 2026, at the Space Flight Operations Facility, which operates the Deep Space Network (DSN). Soon after launch, the Artemis II crew communicated with the Near Space Network while they were […]

Posted April 9, 2026

Artemis

Artemis 2

Photojournal

JPL’s ‘Lucky Peanuts’ Before Artemis II Launch

Description A container of “lucky peanuts” sits above workstations within the Space Flight Operations Facility at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory shortly before the launch of the Artemis II mission to the Moon on April 1, 2026. Eating peanuts before launches and other major mission events is a longstanding tradition at JPL.

Posted April 9, 2026

Artemis

Artemis 2

Photojournal

Supporting Artemis II From JPL’s Space Flight Operations Facility

Description The Artemis II mission patch appears in the center screen of the Space Flight Operations Facility at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California on April 1, 2026, shortly before the mission launched to the Moon.

Posted April 9, 2026

Human Landing System Program

Artemis

Artemis 2

Earth's Moon

Marshall Space Flight Center

Twin NASA Control Rooms Support Artemis Safety, Success

Twin control rooms at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, are actively supporting real-time mission operations in lunar orbit as part of the agency’s Artemis II mission, helping ensure astronaut safety and mission success as the crew prepares to return to Earth Friday, April 10.

Posted April 8, 2026

Artemis 2

Artemis

Earth

Earth's Moon

Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate

Humans in Space

NASA’s Artemis II Crew Beams Official Moon Flyby Photos to Earth

Editor’s note: Some photo captions were updated on April 8, 2026, to reflect ongoing scientific observations and discussion about the images. The first flyby images of the Moon captured by NASA’s Artemis II astronauts during their historic test flight reveal some regions no human has seen, including a rare in-space solar eclipse.

Posted April 7, 2026

Artemis

Artemis 2

Earth

Earth's Moon

Earthset

The Artemis II crew captured this view of Earth setting on April 6, 2026, as they flew around the Moon. As the astronauts flew over the Moon’s far side, the crew photographed and described terrain features including impact craters, ancient lava flows, and surface cracks and ridges formed as the Moon slowly evolved over time. […]

Posted April 7, 2026

Artemis 2

Artemis

Astronauts

Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate

Humans in Space

NASA to Host Media Call with Artemis II Crew on Way Home from Moon

Editor’s note: This advisory was updated Wednesday, April 8, 2026, to reflect a time change in the event. Media will have an opportunity at 10:45 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 8, to speak with NASA’s Artemis II crew members as they continue their journey toward Earth during their historic mission around the Moon. The 20-minute […]

Posted April 7, 2026

Artemis 2

Artemis

Astronauts

Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate

Humans in Space

NASA’s Artemis II Crew Eclipses Record for Farthest Human Spaceflight

Editor’s note: This release was updated at 7:28 p.m. EDT on April 6, 2026, to reflect Orion’s final closest approach to the lunar surface from about 4,070 miles to about 4,067 miles. NASA also updated the farthest distance Orion will travel. Finally, NASA also made changes at 10 p.m. to the statements about crew firsts. […]

Posted April 6, 2026

Artemis

Artemis 2

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