50 years after Apollo, NASA tries crewed mission to Moon again. Here’s why Artemis II matters

As NASA fine-tunes launch preparations for Artemis II, the agency’s first crewed mission to the Moon’s vicinity in more than half a century, attention is increasingly focused not just on schedules and technical tests, but on the mission’s deeper significance for human spaceflight. 

Recent updates from NASA show adjustments to pre-launch testing timelines, including the critical wet dress rehearsal, after unusually cold weather affected conditions at Kennedy Space Center. While launch dates remain under review, Artemis II continues to move closer to liftoff — and to a moment that could redefine the future of human exploration beyond Earth. 

Return to deep space after 50 years 

Artemis II will be the first human mission beyond low-Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. Over the course of an approximately 10-day flight, four astronauts will travel around the Moon and return to Earth, venturing farther from the planet than any crew in more than five decades. 

Although the mission does not include a lunar landing, it represents a decisive return to deep space — restoring a capability that has not been exercised since the end of the Apollo era. 

Crucial test for human survival systems 

More than symbolism, Artemis II is a mission-critical test. For the first time, NASA will operate its modern Orion spacecraft with astronauts aboard in the harsh environment beyond Earth’s protective magnetic field. 

The mission will validate: 

• Life-support systems needed for extended deep-space travel 
• Navigation, propulsion, and communications far from Earth 
• Crew operations and emergency procedures under real mission conditions 
• Radiation exposure and thermal performance in lunar space 

These systems cannot be fully proven through ground tests or uncrewed flights alone, making Artemis II an essential step before astronauts attempt to land on the Moon again. 

Artemis II serves as the gateway mission for NASA’s long-term exploration plans. Its success is required before Artemis III, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface, including the Moon’s south polar region. 

Beyond the Moon, the mission supports NASA’s broader ambition of using lunar exploration as a proving ground for future human missions to Mars, helping refine technologies, crew endurance strategies, and operational experience. 

The Artemis II crew 

The mission will fly with a four-member international crew: 

• Reid Wiseman, NASA astronaut, Commander 
• Victor Glover, NASA astronaut, Pilot 
• Christina Koch, NASA astronaut, Mission Specialist 
• Jeremy Hansen, Canadian Space Agency astronaut, Mission Specialist 

The crew itself marks several historic firsts. Christina Koch will become the first woman to travel to lunar vicinity, Victor Glover the first person of colour to venture so far from Earth, and Jeremy Hansen the first non-American astronaut assigned to a lunar-vicinity mission. 

Together, the crew will operate Orion throughout the translunar flight, lunar flyby, and return to Earth, testing human performance and spacecraft systems during every phase of the mission. 

Launch vehicle, site and timing 

Artemis II will launch aboard NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1 rocket, paired with the Orion spacecraft, from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida — a site steeped in human spaceflight history, from Apollo to the Space Shuttle era. 

Before launch, NASA teams must complete a wet dress rehearsal, a full simulation of launch-day fueling and countdown operations using cryogenic propellants. This test is considered the final major milestone before setting a firm launch date. 

NASA has outlined multiple launch opportunities between February and April 2026, driven by orbital mechanics that allow Orion to safely perform its lunar flyby and free-return trajectory. Weather and technical readiness will ultimately determine the exact liftoff date. 

Artemis II is not just about reaching the Moon again — it is about relearning how to send humans safely into deep space, rebuilding capabilities lost after Apollo, and laying the foundation for sustained exploration beyond Earth.