Catenaa, Friday, October 17, 2025-NASA announced that Artemis II, its next crewed mission to the moon, is scheduled to launch in April 2026, marking humanity’s first return to lunar orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.
The 10-day mission will test the Orion spacecraft and evaluate astronaut health in deep space conditions.
Four astronauts will crew Artemis II: commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen.
Hansen becomes the first Canadian to fly on a NASA moon mission. During the mission, blood samples will be collected to study the effects of altered gravity and space radiation, informing future Artemis missions.
Artemis II follows the success of Artemis I, an uncrewed test flight in November 2022, which validated the Orion spacecraft’s systems. NASA plans Artemis III for mid-2027, with a month-long mission that includes a lunar landing at the South Pole region.
Astronauts will remain on the surface for about a week, paving the way for Artemis IV and the Gateway lunar station, a permanent orbital base for docking and research.
The Artemis program aims to establish long-term human presence on the moon, dubbed “Artemis Generation Science,” supporting exploration, research, and commercial collaboration.
NASA has designed the Artemis logo to symbolize both the Greek goddess of the moon and the mission’s forward-looking trajectory toward lunar science and habitation.
These milestones mark a major step in lunar exploration, connecting decades of space history with new scientific ambitions, as NASA prepares the next generation of astronauts for extended operations in lunar orbit and on the surface.
