NASA could send humans around the moon and back as early as February 2026, months ahead of its original schedule, with the Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight in its multibillion-dollar Artemis programme.
Artemis programme and mission objectives
The Artemis programme is the United States’ flagship effort to return humans to the moon and build a foundation for future missions to Mars. It is a response to similar lunar ambitions by China, which aims to land astronauts on the moon by 2030.
The Artemis II mission will be a 10-day flight around the moon, marking the first time humans travel beyond low Earth orbit since 1972. Unlike later missions, the crew will not land on the moon, but the mission will test NASA’s equipment and systems for future lunar landings.
Timeline and launch details
Originally scheduled for April 2026, the mission could now be moved up to February, with the launch window potentially opening on February 5. Acting deputy associate administrator Lakiesha Hawkins stressed, “Safety is our top priority” despite the accelerated schedule.
The mission will use NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion capsule, which will carry astronauts atop the 98-metre-tall rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis II follows an uncrewed Artemis I mission that successfully orbited the moon in November 2022.
Preparing for Artemis III and the future of lunar exploration
Artemis II is a precursor to Artemis III, currently planned for 2027, which will involve a moon lander variant of SpaceX’s Starship rocket. Artemis III aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface, continuing the legacy of NASA’s historic Apollo missions.
“We together have a front row seat to history,” said Hawkins, highlighting the significance of returning humans to the moon more than 50 years after Neil Armstrong first walked on its surface in 1969.
The programme aims to explore the moon for scientific discovery, economic opportunities, and to lay the groundwork for Mars exploration.