NASA is gearing up for a historic spaceflight that would mark the first time humans have travelled around the Moon in more than 50 years. According to international space updates, the agency is targeting a launch as early as March 6, 2026 for its Artemis II mission — a crewed flyaround of the Moon.
What Artemis II Is About
Artemis II is part of NASA’s broader Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to lunar space and eventually land astronauts on the Moon’s surface again. This mission will be the first crewed flight of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, carrying four astronauts on a roughly 10-day mission around the Moon and back to Earth.
The crew will include:
- NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch
- Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, who will become the first non-U.S. citizen to travel beyond low Earth orbit on a lunar mission.
Unlike Apollo missions that landed on the lunar surface, Artemis II will orbit around the Moon and return, offering a vital test of deep space systems with humans aboard before attempting a surface landing later under Artemis III.
Why This Mission Matters
The Artemis II mission is significant for several reasons:
- It will be the first crewed spaceflight beyond low Earth orbit since 1972, breaking a more than five-decade hiatus in human lunar exploration.
- The flight will test critical spacecraft systems — including life support, navigation, and communication — in the environment of deep space with astronauts aboard.
- It will pave the way for future missions that may land astronauts on the lunar surface and establish a sustainable presence at the Moon.
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, paired with the Orion spacecraft, represents the most powerful launch vehicle and crew capsule built for deep space missions, designed to carry crew safely on extended voyages beyond Earth orbit.
Challenges and Preparations
Like all complex space missions, Artemis II has faced technical hurdles. Earlier hydrogen leaks during a wet dress rehearsal test delayed launch plans, requiring seal replacements and retesting before NASA could confidently schedule a firm launch window in March.
NASA is completing final flight readiness reviews, crew quarantine, and pre-flight procedures ahead of the targeted launch in the March 6 window. These steps ensure every subsystem performs reliably under real mission conditions.
A Step Toward Artemis III and Beyond
If Artemis II succeeds, it will validate NASA’s deep space mission architecture and set the stage for Artemis III, planned to land astronauts on the Moon’s surface — the first lunar landing since Apollo 17. These missions are part of an enduring effort to explore the Moon and eventually use it as a springboard for missions to Mars and deeper space.
