In April 2026, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched the Artemis II mission from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the United States of America (USA), using the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion crew capsule, sending four astronauts on a crewed test flight to the Moon’s vicinity, marking the first human journey beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.
- The four-member crew includes Commander Reid Wiseman (USA), Pilot Victor Glover (USA), Mission Specialist Christina Koch (USA), and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen (Canada, Canadian Space Agency).
About Artemis II Mission:
Aim: The mission aims to orbit the Moon and safely return to Earth while testing spacecraft systems, crew performance, deep-space operations, life-support systems, and safety in a high-radiation environment beyond Earth’s orbit.
Program: Artemis II is the first crewed mission under NASA Artemis program launched in 2017 to advance human lunar exploration and long-term Moon presence.
Achievement: Jeremy Hansen becomes the first Canadian astronaut to participate in a lunar mission, while Christina Koch holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman (328 days) and Victor Glover becomes the first person of color on a lunar mission.
Mission: The mission will carry astronauts around the Moon and return to Earth in a nearly 10-day journey, traveling about 406,000 kilometer (km) (252,000 miles), the farthest distance for human spaceflight, surpassing Apollo 13.
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