NASA Artemis 2 mission Crew: (From left) Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Pilot Victor Glover, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen | Image: NASA
NASA has announced that its ambitious Artemis II mission, the first crewed moonshot in more than 50 years, could launch as early as February 5, 2026. The 10-day mission will send four astronauts on a journey around the Moon and back, marking humanity's closest approach to the lunar surface since Apollo 17 in 1972. It will be the first time in more than five decades that astronauts venture close to the Moon.
"We together have a front-row seat to history: We're returning to the moon after over 50 years," said Lakiesha Hawkins, NASA acting deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development in a press conference.
Commanded by Reid Wiseman, the mission will also carry NASA astronauts Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen as the mission specialists, who will become the first non-American to travel to the Moon.
"They're going at least 5,000 nautical miles [9,260 kilometers] past the Moon, which is much higher than previous missions have gone," said Jeff Radigan of JSC, the lead Artemis 2 flight director.
If Artemis II mission gets launched on schedule, it will be a night liftoff atop NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket. The crew will follow a 'free-return' trajectory, flying about 9,260 kilometers beyond the moon, farther than any astronauts have travelled earlier, before returning safely to Earth.
The mission will last 10 days and the 'free-return' trajectory will guarantee the return of astronauts to Earth without entering the lunar orbit. While not a landing mission, Artemis II is designed to test systems, verify safety, and pave the way for a future human touchdown.
Talking about the objectives of this mission, Artemis 2 flight director Radigan said, "A test flight doesn't have one singular objective, it's got many of them. To call this mission fully successful, we need to go fly by the moon, bring the crew home safely and welcome them back with open arms."
Artemis II follows Artemis I, the uncrewed November 2022 test flight that successfully orbited the moon and returned to Earth after four weeks. Engineers have since upgraded the Orion spacecraft's heat shield and resolved hydrogen leak issues to ensure crew safety.
Artemis 2, which was initially expected to get launched this year, was pushed to 2026 by NASA after Artemis 1 Orion capsule's heat shield got charred more severely than expected during its journey back to Earth's atmosphere.
NASA officials emphasised that safety remains the top priority. While Artemis II is a test mission, it is a crucial stepping stone toward Artemis III, when astronauts are expected to land on the lunar surface in 2027.
"As we work through these operational preparations, as we finish stacking the rocket, we're continuing to assess to make sure that we do things in a safe way," Lakiesha Hawkins said.
As stated by Rick Henfling of JSC, lead Artemis 2 entry flight director, the Artemis II team has studied this issue and measures have been take to minimise the chances of heat shield problems during re-entry on the upcoming mission.
"The Artemis 2 trajectory that we're going to fly is going to be one that is not going to replicate that temperature environment, which was conducive to that increased gas generation rate," Henfling said.
"We learned an awful lot during Artemis 1," Blackwell-Thompson said. "We learned the relationship between the flow rates, the pressures and how those manifest, or could manifest, into leaks," she added.
NASA's Artimis 2 launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson also explained the issue of liquid hydrogen leak that delayed the Artemis 1 launch which was lifted off on its third attempt. She said that the Artimis 2 team has done modifications at the launch pad and adjusted the fuelling process to reduce the risk of such leaks in the upcoming 2026 mission.