NASA's Artemis II: Returning to the Moon

NASA has announced plans for its first crewed mission to the Moon in 50 years, scheduled for February 2026. This mission, called Artemis II, will send four astronauts on a ten-day journey around the Moon.

The Artemis II mission is part of NASA's larger Artemis program, which aims to establish a long-term human presence on the lunar surface. While this mission won't land on the Moon, it will test important systems for future lunar landings.

The four astronauts will travel in a spacecraft called Orion, which will be launched by the powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. During their journey, they will fly further into space than any human has ever been before, reaching at least 5,000 nautical miles past the Moon.