NASA's Artemis II April 1-10 tests Orion systems and suits
NASA's Artemis II is set for April 1-10, 2026, and it's taking astronauts farther from the Moon, up to 9656km above its surface.
The Orion spacecraft will orbit Earth twice before heading into a unique figure-eight path around the Moon.
This mission is all about testing Orion's systems and Orion crew survival system suits that can keep astronauts breathing safely for six days if things go wrong.
Orion heat shield test during re-entry
Before coming home, Orion will drop its service module to test its heat shield during re-entry, a big deal since there were issues last time.
The capsule will slow down with parachutes before splashing down in the Pacific, where NASA and the US Navy will be ready to bring everyone back safely.
Artemis II is a huge step toward getting humans back on the Moon and making future deep-space missions possible.