NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASA's Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanity's return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission will send the crew on a sweeping journey around the Moon and back, setting the stage for a future lunar surface landing later this decade.

The mission began with liftoff from Kennedy Space Center in Florida atop the Space Launch System, the most powerful rocket NASA has ever launched. Shortly after launch, the Orion capsule separated from the rocket's upper stage and entered a highly elliptical Earth orbit. During the first two days, the crew will run thorough checkouts of critical onboard systems, including life support, propulsion, navigation, and communications, before venturing deeper into space.

Once those checks are cleared, Orion will execute a translunar injection burn, breaking free from Earth's orbit and charting a course toward the Moon. The multi-day coast through deep space will push the astronauts farther from Earth than any humans have ever traveled, while mission controllers carefully monitor navigation and communications performance throughout the journey.

The spacecraft will then swing behind the Moon on a free-return trajectory, a carefully calculated flight path that uses lunar gravity to naturally slingshot Orion back toward Earth without needing extra fuel. Following the flyby, the crew will spend several days conducting deep-space evaluations of power systems, thermal controls, and crew operations during the return trip.

Re-entry will be one of the mission's most technically demanding moments, with Orion plunging into the atmosphere at roughly 25,000 miles per hour. The high-energy descent will put the capsule's heat shield through a rigorous real-world test before the spacecraft splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, where recovery teams will be standing by to bring the crew safely home.