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Space Crew Set for First Moon Orbit in Decades
USAWednesday, April 1, 2026
NASA is gearing up to launch Artemis II, the first crewed trip around the moon in more than half a century. The launch is scheduled for April 1, with an eight‑minute escape from Earth’s gravity before the Orion capsule embarks on a ten‑day journey that will orbit the planet, pass between 6 450 and 9 650 km above the lunar surface, and return to Earth via splash‑down.
The Crew
| Role | Astronaut | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Commander | Reid Wiseman (Navy) | 2 spacewalks, 165‑day ISS mission |
| Pilot | Victor Glover | First Black astronaut beyond low Earth orbit |
| Mission Specialist | Christina Koch | Longest single spaceflight by a woman, 6 spacewalks |
| Mission Specialist | Jeremy Hansen (Canada) | First non‑US astronaut in lunar orbit |
Their combined decades of flight experience, engineering expertise, and diverse backgrounds are seen as essential for the success of Artemis II.
Milestones in Representation
- First crew to include a woman, a Black person, and a non‑American traveling together to lunar orbit.
- NASA’s message: “Out of many, one.”
A testament to the collaborative effort required to push humanity further into space.
Mission Objectives
- Test Orion’s life‑support and other systems for future missions, including lunar landings planned by 2028.
- Validate performance for subsequent journeys to the moon and, ultimately, Mars.
The Artemis II mission not only marks a historic leap in space exploration but also sets the stage for humanity’s next giant steps.
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