Humans are getting ready to fly around the Moon again for the first time in more than 50 years. NASA’s historic Artemis II mission could launch as early as next month, taking astronauts farther from Earth than humans have ever travelled before.
Last week, NASA rolled out its giant Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This marked a major step toward launch. The rocket is one of the largest in the world, standing about 98 meters. It was slowly moved from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pad, a distance of more than 6.5 kilometres. The journey took around 12 hours, with the rocket carried on a massive mobile launch platform.
Once final testing is complete, the rocket will send NASA’s Orion spacecraft into space. Inside Orion will be four astronauts , three from the United States and one from Canada. The crew is scheduled to take off sometime between February 6 and April 6, depending on weather and orbital conditions. Their mission will last about 10 days and will involve flying around the Moon before returning safely to Earth.
NASA explained that the launch windows are carefully chosen. To put the spacecraft on the right path, they must align with the Earth and Moon’s movement. “These launch periods account for the complex orbital mechanics involved in launching on a precise trajectory toward the Moon,” the space agency said.
Artemis II is part of NASA’s multibillion-dollar Artemis Program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and eventually send astronauts to Mars. This mission will be the first time humans travel to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman called the mission a huge step forward. He said Artemis II will send humans farther from Earth than ever before and provide valuable knowledge needed for future missions. He also said the mission is an important step toward building a long-term human presence on the Moon and preparing for missions to Mars.
The Artemis II crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. During the mission, they will travel about 4,700 miles, or 7,600 kilometers— beyond the far side of the Moon. This will be the farthest distance humans have ever reached in space. After completing their journey, the spacecraft will splash down in the Pacific Ocean, where recovery teams will bring the crew home.
Christina Koch will make history as the first woman to ever fly on a lunar mission. She already holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, having spent 328 days in space. Victor Glover will also make history as the first African-American astronaut to take part in a NASA lunar mission. Jeremy Hansen will be the first Canadian to travel around the Moon.
Speaking to the media, Glover said the mission shows how far human spaceflight has come. “In just a few weeks, you’re going to see four humans fly around the Moon,” he said. “If we’re doing that now, imagine what we can do next.”
Before launch, NASA will complete several final tests. One of the most important is the “wet dress rehearsal”, scheduled for February 2. During this test, teams will fully fuel the rocket with more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellants and run through a full launch countdown. They will also practice safely removing the fuel, all without astronauts onboard.
Artemis II follows the successful Artemis I mission, which launched in November 2022 after several delays. That uncrewed test mission sent Orion farther from Earth than any spacecraft built for humans had ever been, reaching more than 432,000 kilometres away. After 25 days in space, it safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.
Now, with Artemis II, NASA is ready to take the next bold step, putting humans back on the path to the Moon and beyond.
