First Crewed Moon Mission in Over 50 Years

NASA is green-lit for launch on Wednesday, April 1, 2026 — the date everyone in the space community has been waiting for. Artemis 2 will send four astronauts on a historic 10-day mission around the moon aboard the Orion spacecraft, marking humanity's first crewed return to lunar space since Apollo 17 in 1972.

The Crew

The Artemis 2 crew consists of:

• Reid Wiseman (NASA) — Mission Commander, zeroed in on the task ahead
• Christina Koch (NASA) — Pilot, set to become the first woman to fly around the moon
• Victor Glover (NASA) — Mission Specialist, committed to engaging communities about the mission
• Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency) — Mission Specialist, representing international partnership

The Mission Profile

Artemis 2 won't land on the moon — this is a test flight. Instead, Orion will perform a lunar flyby, using a figure-eight trajectory around the far side of the moon before returning to Earth. It's the second test of the Orion spacecraft's systems, but the first time it will carry a crew beyond Earth orbit.

NASA has zero critical technical issues blocking launch, according to Sunday's mission status update. "We are getting very, very close — and we are ready," said Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate.

The only significant concern: a 20% chance of weather violations on launch day due to potential cumulus clouds in the lower troposphere. But there are backup launch windows through April 6.

What's Next

If Artemis 2 launches successfully, it paves the way for Artemis 3 — the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo. After that comes Artemis 4, which will test rendezvous and docking operations between Orion and lunar landers in Earth orbit.

This isn't just a space agency milestone. It's the beginning of sustained human exploration beyond low Earth orbit — the foundation for a lunar base and eventual Mars missions.

Source: Space.com — 'We are ready': NASA still on track to launch Artemis 2 astronauts to the moon April 1