"The most special thing that will ever happen in my life." — Commander Reid Wiseman
The Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight of NASA's Artemis program, concluded on April 10, 2026, with the Orion spacecraft splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. The four-person crew—NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen—completed a record-breaking 10-day journey around the Moon, traveling farther from Earth than any previous human spaceflight. The mission served as a critical test flight for the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, setting the stage for future missions, including Artemis III and the planned crewed lunar landing on Artemis IV.
Mission Profile and Key Events
The Artemis II mission launched on April 1, 2026, from Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. This was the first crewed flight for both the SLS and the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity by the crew.
- Lunar Flyby and Distance Record: On April 6, the spacecraft performed a lunar flyby, traveling on a "free-return" trajectory around the far side of the Moon. The crew reached a maximum distance of 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers) from Earth, surpassing the previous record set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970. The spacecraft’s closest approach to the lunar surface was 4,067 miles (6,545 kilometers).
- Scientific Observations: During the flyby, the crew conducted extensive geological observations and photography of the lunar surface, capturing images of impact craters, ancient lava flows, and a total solar eclipse. The astronauts reported observing meteoroid impact flashes on the lunar surface.
- Return and Splashdown: The return journey concluded on April 10 with a planned high-speed re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. The capsule entered the atmosphere at approximately 24,000 mph (38,600 kph), generating temperatures up to 5,000°F (2,760°C) on its heat shield and causing a six-minute communications blackout. A sequence of 11 parachutes deployed to slow the capsule to approximately 20 mph (32 kph) for splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.
- Mission Duration: The mission lasted 9 days, 1 hour, 31 minutes, and 35 seconds, covering a total distance of approximately 694,481 miles (1.1 million kilometers).
Crew and Historical Milestones
The Artemis II crew comprised Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. The mission achieved several notable firsts:
- Victor Glover became the first person of color to travel to the lunar vicinity.
- Christina Koch became the first woman to travel to the lunar vicinity.
- Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency) became the first non-American to travel to the lunar vicinity, marking Canada's first deep-space mission.
Onboard Operations and Technical Notes
- Spacecraft Systems: The crew tested Orion's life support systems, including environmental controls and the Universal Waste Management System (toilet). The toilet experienced malfunctions during the mission, prompting the crew to use backup collection bags. NASA stated a design fix would be implemented for future missions.
- Manual Flight Control: Pilot Victor Glover conducted proximity operations, manually flying the Orion spacecraft to test its handling for future docking maneuvers with a lunar lander.
- Heat Shield Performance: The heat shield, which experienced unexpected char loss during the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022, was used for Artemis II. NASA modified the re-entry trajectory to a steeper, faster profile to limit the heat shield's exposure time, mitigating the risk of damage.
Post-Mission Activities and Crew Statements
On April 11, the crew returned to Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston for a welcome ceremony. During their first post-mission press conference, crew members made the following statements:
Commander Reid Wiseman stated the mission was "the most special thing that will ever happen in my life." He described the Earth from space as "a beautiful planet in a very special place in our universe."
Pilot Victor Glover said he had "not processed what we just did" and expressed gratitude for the experience. He described Earth as an "oasis" in the universe.
Mission Specialist Christina Koch described Earth as "this lifeboat hanging undisturbedly in the universe" and said, "planet Earth, you are a crew."
Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen said the crew was "united by love" and described them as "a mirror reflecting you" to the audience.
Recovery Operations
Following splashdown, recovery personnel from NASA and the U.S. Navy extracted the crew from the capsule. The astronauts were transported via helicopter to the USS John P. Murtha for medical checkouts. NASA officials reported the crew was in good health and spirits. The Orion capsule was transported to Kennedy Space Center for post-mission analysis.
Heat Shield Analysis
NASA conducted a preliminary inspection of the Orion spacecraft's heat shield after splashdown. Diver imagery and subsequent examinations found the char loss behavior observed during Artemis I was significantly reduced, both in quantity and size. The performance was considered consistent with ground testing. NASA plans to transport the heat shield to Marshall Space Flight Center for further detailed analysis, including sample extraction and x-ray scans.
Context and Future Missions
Artemis II was the first crewed mission to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. The mission is part of NASA's broader Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustained human presence on the lunar surface and prepare for future crewed missions to Mars.
- Artemis III (Targeting 2027): The next mission will be an in-space test of key systems in low Earth orbit. The crew will test rendezvous and docking procedures with commercial lunar landers developed by SpaceX (Starship) and Blue Origin (Blue Moon).
- Artemis IV (Targeting 2028): This mission aims to be the first crewed lunar landing since 1972, targeting the Moon's south polar region. NASA’s long-term goal includes establishing a permanent lunar base.
The crew for the Artemis III mission was announced as Commander Randy Bresnik, Pilot Luca Parmitano (European Space Agency), and Mission Specialists Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas. Bob Hines will serve as the backup crew member.
In-Flight Events and Observations
- Earthset Image: The crew captured a photograph of Earth appearing to "set" behind the lunar limb. NASA named the image "Earthset," drawing parallels to the 1968 Apollo 8 "Earthrise" photo.
- Crater Naming: During the flyby, the crew proposed naming two unnamed lunar craters: "Integrity," after their spacecraft, and "Carroll," after Commander Wiseman's late wife, Carroll.
- Meteoroid Impacts: The crew reported observing multiple impact flashes on the lunar surface, identified as small meteoroid impacts. Astronauts described the flashes as white-blue, lasting less than a second.
- Call with ISS Crew: On April 7, the Artemis II crew conducted a live audio call with astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the first ship-to-ship call between crews separated by lunar distance. The call included discussions on perspective, operations, and crew menus.
- Total Solar Eclipse: The crew observed a total solar eclipse from their position beyond the Moon, lasting approximately one hour. This provided a unique opportunity for solar corona observation.
- Photography and Camera Equipment: The crew utilized a Nikon D5 DSLR camera and iPhone 17 Pro Max devices to capture images and video during the mission. NASA has released thousands of photographs from the mission.