Are you ready for a real moon photo? The upcoming Artemis II mission is one of the most exciting space excursions in recent memory. This will be the first time humans have visited the Moon since December 1972, when the monument Apollo Program wrapped, and NASA has started to change direction towards space shuttles which would stay closer to home in Earth orbit.
Artemis II is an opportunity for NASA to collect valuable new data from a spaceflight of this magnitude and to continue testing its new Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft that will carry the astronauts. The 10-day mission will be a flyby for these four humans – a real moon landing is planned for the Mission Artemis IV – but there will be plenty of drama nonetheless.
The launch is now scheduled for April 1 after NASA scrapped planned launch dates in February and March. NASA has the rocket in place and is rigorously testing it to ensure it is ready for the trip. Orion is in its final stages of preparation and, aside from some final testing, everything is ready to go.
The two-hour launch window is scheduled to begin at 6:24 p.m. ET next Wednesday, with additional opportunities through Monday, April 6.
The mission crew consists of Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. Wiseman, Glover and Koch are American. Hansen is Canadian and will be the first from his country to go to the moon.
Although we don’t know the exact launch date yet, we do know what will happen. After liftoff, the Orion spacecraft will go into orbit, head toward the moon, slingshot around it, and return home as Earth’s gravity pulls it back. This launch has been in the works for over eight years and the big moment is very close.
The Orion spacecraft needed heat shield upgrades, given the damage sustained during Artemis I.
NASAArtemis II launch in April
The original launch window (PDF) for Artemis II was February 8-13, but NASA crossed it out following a refueling test of the rocket known as a wet dress rehearsal. He then removed the March relief launch dates. Now the launch window for Artemis II is April 1-6 and April 30. The time of day varies, but NASA is aiming for an evening liftoff, so be prepared to watch during or after dinner.
On launch day, Artemis II will lift off from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Space Launch System, NASA’s super-heavy rocket and primary launch vehicle for the Artemis program, will produce more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust to launch Orion and its crew into space.
In the first few minutes, the spacecraft will shed components such as rocket boosters and hardware used specifically for the launch phase.
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Artemis II’s flight path is a large loop around the Moon. Artemis, I took a similar path.
NASAHow to stream the launch
NASA broadcasts the launch on its usual platforms. They include its YouTube channel, its free on-demand streaming app NASA Plus, and the agency’s social media pages on Facebook and
What will happen first
About eight minutes after launch, the spacecraft will separate from the lower stage, leaving only the Orion capsule and the upper stage rocket, while the expendable lower stage will crash into the Atlantic Ocean and sink to the bottom.
Over the next few hours, the spacecraft will reach its orbit around Earth, in an orbital pattern that will make it easier for astronauts to return home if something goes wrong. (The Artemis I mission flew successfully in 2022, but without a crew.) It will remain there until the second day of the mission.
Days 1 and 2: Systems testing
Once in high orbit, the crew will engage manual controls and begin testing onboard systems, including life support systems and communications. Once everything is deemed OK, the upper stage rocket will perform what’s called a translunar injection burn before detaching, sending Orion toward the moon.
Day 3 to 5: Travel time
The crew will have a few days of travel to get to the Moon, a distance of more than 225,000 miles. (That’s about the same time as driving nonstop from New York to Los Angeles, a trip of less than 3,000 miles.) By comparison, the International Space Station is only about 250 miles from Earth. During this time, the crew will be busy performing tests, practicing procedures and testing mission technology.
Day 6: The hidden side of the moon
The crew of Artemis II reached lunar orbit on the sixth day, flying over the far side of the Moon and preparing for their return journey. It will be a rare in-person glimpse of the far side of the Moon and, depending on the mission’s launch day, the Artemis II crew could also break the record for the longest journey by humans away from Earth when they reach the farthest point in their loop around the Moon. This record – 248,655 miles – was set during the Apollo 13 mission.
The crew is expected to lose communication with Earth during this period. They will photograph the far side of the Moon before restoring communications and returning home.
Days 7 to 9: Return home
The Orion will drift around the Moon and begin its return trajectory under the influence of Earth and lunar gravity.
Day 10: Landing
The final day of the mission will see Orion and his crew return to Earth. Orion will enter orbit at high speed, generating heat of up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This will thoroughly test NASA’s improvements to Orion’s heat shields. Once reentry into the atmosphere is complete, the crew will deploy Orion’s parachutes and drop into the Pacific Ocean. The US Navy will pick them up approximately 2 hours later.
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Artemis III will send humans to the surface of the Moon.
NASAArtemis III in orbit and Artemis IV lunar landing
The Artemis II mission is a critical part of the long sequence of events that will return humans to the surface of the Moon. The data collected and the tests carried out on the mission will be used to prepare the Artemis III and Artemis IV missions, now planned for 2027 and early 2028 respectively. Artemis III will carry out tests, including docking with the lunar lander, in Earth orbit; Artemis IV will be the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 in 1972.
SpaceX is building the system the crew will use to land on the Moon, and Houston-based Axiom Space is developing the spacesuits they will wear.
