Artemis II
The first crewed Artemis flight marks a key step toward long‑term return to the Moon and future missions to Mars.
Mission Type
MISSION DURATION
LaunchED
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Artemis II News
Our Artemis II Crew
Meet the astronauts who ventured around the Moon on Artemis II, the first crewed flight aboard NASA’s human deep space capabilities, paving the way for future lunar surface missions.
Forging New Frontiers about Our Artemis II Crew
NASA’s Newest Spacecraft
Orion is developed to be capable of sending astronauts to the Moon and is a crucial step toward eventually sending crews on to Mars.
The Orion spacecraft will serve as the exploration vehicle that will carry and sustain the crew on Artemis missions to the Moon and return them safely to Earth. Orion will launch on NASA’s new heavy-lift rocket, the SLS (Space Launch System).
A Single Launch
Offering more payload mass, volume, and departure energy than any other single rocket, SLS (Space Launch System) can support a range of mission objectives.
Combining power and capability, NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and Artemis. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and cargo directly to the Moon in a single launch.
The Infrastructure
Preparing the infrastructure to support NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft.
Exploration Ground Systems, based at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, develops and operates the systems and facilities needed to process, launch, and recover rockets and spacecraft for NASA’s Artemis missions.
What We’ll Learn
Artemis II science operations will lay the foundation for safe and efficient human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
The Artemis II mission will carry astronauts farther from Earth and closer to the Moon than any human has been in over half a century. From this unique vantage point and environment, the Artemis II crew will work with scientists on Earth to facilitate science investigations to inform future human spaceflight missions.
Artemis II Multimedia
Visit the Artemis II multimedia resource collection to view and download curated image galleries, live mission coverage, behind-the-scenes videos, podcasts, and more.
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