NASA's Artemis II: Humans head back toward the Moon
NASA's Artemis II is taking off on February 6, 2026 (GMT)—marking the first time people will fly around the Moon since the Apollo days.
This 10-day mission will launch from Kennedy Space Center, aiming to test out new systems that could help us live and work on the Moon (and maybe even Mars) in the future.
Meet the crew and their epic journey
The team features commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch (the first woman to travel beyond low Earth orbit), and Jeremy Hansen from Canada (the first non-American to go this far since 1972).
Their path takes them about 7,000km from the lunar surface before looping back home.
Why Artemis II matters for space exploration
Artemis II isn't just about going further—it's about making sure we can do it safely again and again.
The crew will put Orion's life-support systems through real tests while they eat, sleep, and exercise in deep space.
Plus, they'll practice proximity operations in space, which are important for future deep space missions.