Artemis II Crew Prepares for First Crewed Moon Mission in 50 Years

Artemis II crew: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch
(NASA); Jeremy Hansen (CSA). NASA photo by Josh Valcarcel, public domain
via Wikimedia Commons.

NASA's Artemis II mission — the first crewed flight around the Moon
since the Apollo program more than 50 years ago — is targeting a
launch no earlier than April 1, 2026, according to Wikipedia's mission
profile and NASA's own planning documentation. The four-person crew
will fly aboard the Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System rocket
on a ten-day free-return trajectory around the Moon and back to Earth.

The crew consists of Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover,
Mission Specialist Christina Koch — all from NASA — and Mission
Specialist Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency, according to
NASA's Artemis II mission overview. Hansen will become the first
Canadian astronaut to travel beyond Earth orbit.

What the Mission Will Do

Artemis II will not land on the Moon. Its purpose is to validate the
systems, hardware, and procedures needed for future missions —
including Artemis III, which is planned to land astronauts on the lunar
surface for the first time since Apollo 17 in December 1972. The ten-day
trajectory will take the crew around the far side of the Moon and return
them to Earth using a free-return path that relies on gravitational
forces rather than propulsion for the return arc, according to The Hotel
Washington's mission profile.

Key test objectives include evaluating life support systems during
deep-space conditions, confirming Orion's heat shield performance
during high-speed reentry from lunar trajectory, and testing deep-space
communication and navigation capabilities, per NASA.

NASA's 2025 Progress Leading to This Moment

The Artemis II mission was preceded by a year of significant preparation
milestones in 2025. NASA completed four Entry Descent and Landing
technology tests in three months to advance precision landing
capabilities for future Mars missions. The agency also grew the Artemis
Accords to 59 signatory nations and advanced preparations for the Roman
Space Telescope, which will launch as early as fall 2026, according to
NASA's year-in-review.

For NASA's Johnson Space Center, 2025 closed with the Artemis II crew
completing final preparations — suit fittings, emergency egress
training, and systems familiarization — ahead of the launch window.
The mission represents the culmination of a program that began with the
uncrewed Artemis I flight around the Moon in November 2022.

References: Nasa Ignites New Golden Age Of Exploration Innovation In 2025 | Nasa Johnsons 2025 Milestones | Artemis Ii