NASA targets early April liftoff for Artemis II moon flyby
NASA is heading back to the moon with Artemis II, targeted for early April 2026 liftoff.
This will be the first time people travel beyond Earth orbit since Apollo, but instead of orbiting, the crew will do a slingshot flyby around the moon, testing new safety upgrades along the way.
As astronaut Christina Koch puts it, Artemis honors Apollo's legacy but is a mission for today with its own goals.
Orion crew aims at lunar bases
Artemis II features a diverse team: Christina Koch, Victor Glover (a person of color on the Artemis II crew), Canadian Jeremy Hansen, and Reid Wiseman.
Their several-day journey on Orion aims to pave the way for future lunar bases and even Mars missions.
NASA plans to practice docking its Orion capsule with lunar landers developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin during Artemis III.