Artemis II: NASA’s 2026 Lunar Fly‐by Mission

NASA’s Artemis II, slated for launch 6 Feb 2026 from Kennedy Space Centre, will ferry a four‑person crew—Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—in the Orion capsule atop the 98‑metre Space Launch System. The spacecraft will orbit Earth, then circle the Moon for four days, covering about 4,600 miles beyond its far side before returning to the Pacific. The 10‑day mission will test life‑support, navigation and communication systems in deep space. With total program costs near $49.9 bn, each launch is estimated at $4 bn. Artemis III aims to land on the Moon by mid‑2027. If the 6 Feb launch is postponed, windows remain in February, March and April per orbital mechanics. The mission also marks the first crewed deep‑space flight since Apollo, showcasing NASA’s renewed lunar ambitions.