NASA's Artemis II mission: Next stop, the Moon (again)

Technology Nov 24, 2025

NASA is getting ready to send astronauts around the Moon for the first time in over 50 years.
The Orion spacecraft just got stacked on top of the massive SLS rocket at Kennedy Space Center, after passing critical communication system checks to keep everyone connected during the trip.

Who's going and what's happening?

Set for early 2026, Artemis II will fly four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen from Canada—on a 10-day loop around the Moon.
Their main job? Test out life-support systems and make sure Orion can handle re-entry heat.
The crew will also run through launch-day rehearsals to prep for future lunar missions.
This picks up where Artemis I left off in 2022 and sets up Artemis III for an actual Moon landing in 2027.