Artemis II
Mission / eventCompleted
First crewed Artemis lunar flyby
Artemis II was NASA's first crewed Artemis flight and the first crewed lunar in more than fifty years. Orion launched with Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen on April 1, 2026, flew a around the Moon, and splashed down on April 10 after testing Orion, Space Launch System, ground systems, crew procedures, and deep-space science operations.
Mission photo archive
Reviewed photographs documenting Artemis II. Every image links to its official NASA catalog record.
Artemis II launch
Four astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft atop the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket launch on the agency’s Artemis II test flight, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis II lifted off at 6:35 p.m. ET. Artemis II is the first crewed mission of the agency’s Artemis campaign. The mission will send NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker
Artemis II Night Runs Dry Dress Rehearsals
NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist, and the remaining Artemis II crew members walk on the crew access arm of the mobile launcher in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. During a two-day operation, the Artemis II team practiced night-run demonstrations of different launch day scenarios like suit-up operations, walk-out, and arriving at the launch pad for the Artemis II test flight. Through the Artemis campaign, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars – for the benefit of all.
Artemis II Splashdown and Recovery Operations
Parachutes secured to NASA’s Orion spacecraft deploy before splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California, on Friday, April 10, 2026, for the Artemis II test flight. The Artemis II mission carrying Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, along with Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), launched on Wednesday, April 1, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to begin its 10-day journey around the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars. NASA’s Landing and Recovery team and the U.S. military are coordinating efforts to extract the Artemis II crew from Orion.
Launch record
Explore this mission’s launch, including its vehicle, launch site, payload, and outcome.
Integrity
launch attemptDeep-space attemptcompletedNo reviewed launch image9 connectionsMission dossier
Flight profile, locations, hardware, and outcome in the same reference format used throughout the archive.
Flight profile
Places and recovery
Mission record
- Vehicle
- Orion spacecraft[1]
- Mission type
- Crewed lunar [1]
- Trajectory
- Free-return lunar flyby[1]
- Maximum distance
- About 4,600 miles beyond the Moon[1]
Trajectory profile
2 sourcesFollow the mission from departure through its flight environment, destination, and final phase. This sequence is not a scale orbital plot.
Mission locations
2 sourcesDocumented surface, test, landing, and recovery locations. Map links use the cited place name or exact coordinates; AstronautAtlas does not geocode or estimate missing positions.
Departure or test site
Launch site
Kennedy Space Center, Launch Complex 39B
Landing site
Landing site
Pacific Ocean recovery zone near San Diego
Assignment Manifest
The flight crew and the backup team assigned to train for this mission.
Prime crew
4 assignmentsMission Purpose
2 sources- Fly the first crewed Orion mission and verify spacecraft systems with astronauts aboard in the deep-space environment.
- Test Space Launch System, Orion, Exploration Ground Systems, crew operations, procedures, and recovery operations as an integrated crewed lunar-flight system.
- Perform an Earth-orbit checkout phase and targeting demonstration before committing Orion to its lunar .
- Carry out science and human-health investigations that support future Artemis lunar surface missions and Mars preparation.
Planned Flight Plan
2 sources- Launch phase
SLS launch and Orion
The Space Launch System launched Orion and the Artemis II crew from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center.
- Early mission
Earth-orbit checkout
The crew checked Orion systems and performed a targeting demonstration before committing to the lunar trajectory.
- Outbound phase
Lunar
Orion traveled toward the Moon on a free-return path and carried the crew around the far side of the Moon.
- Return phase
and recovery
Orion returned to Earth, reentered through the atmosphere, splashed down in the Pacific, and was recovered by NASA and Department of Defense teams.
Mission Timeline
2 sources- April 1, 2026
Launch
Artemis II launched from Kennedy Space Center on the first crewed Artemis flight.
- Early April 2026
Systems checkout
The crew evaluated Orion systems and mission procedures in the early mission phase before the lunar .
- Lunar flyby
Around the Moon
Orion carried the crew around the far side of the Moon and reached a path extending about 4,600 miles beyond the lunar surface.
- April 10, 2026
Orion splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after 9 days, 1 hour, and 32 minutes in flight.