On March 20, 2026, NASA's SLS rocket left the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center to reach Launch Pad 39B. Standing 98 meters tall, it carries the Orion spacecraft and the hopes of an entire generation. Artemis II, scheduled for April 1, 2026, will mark the return of astronauts toward the Moon, more than half a century after Apollo 17.

Four astronauts, one historic mission

The Artemis II crew brings together four complementary profiles. Commander Reid Wiseman, a test pilot and International Space Station veteran, will lead the mission. Pilot Victor Glover, a former U.S. Navy fighter pilot, will become the first African-American person to travel beyond low Earth orbit. Mission specialist Christina Koch, who holds the record for the longest continuous spaceflight by a woman (328 days aboard the ISS), will bring her scientific expertise. Finally, Jeremy Hansen, an astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency and former CF-18 pilot, will be the first Canadian — and the first non-American — to venture this far from Earth.

This quartet embodies the diversity and excellence that characterize the Artemis program. Their selection sends a clear message: 21st century space exploration aims to be more inclusive than that of the previous century.

A ten-day journey around our satellite

Contrary to what many imagine, Artemis II does not include a lunar landing. It is a lunar flyby of approximately ten days, an indispensable step before surface missions. The flight profile is ambitious: after launch from Florida, the Orion spacecraft will travel approximately 380,000 kilometers to reach the Moon in three days. The astronauts will then spend a day in lunar orbit, observing the far side of the Moon — a perspective that very few human beings have experienced.

This flyby is not merely a space excursion. It will allow all critical systems of the Orion spacecraft to be tested under real conditions with a crew on board: life support systems, deep-space navigation, Earth communications, and emergency procedures. Every piece of data collected will be invaluable for preparing Artemis III, the mission that will bring humans back to the lunar surface.

The SLS and Orion: an impressive technological duo

The Space Launch System (SLS) is the most powerful rocket ever built by NASA. With its 39 million newtons of thrust at liftoff, it surpasses even the legendary Saturn V of the Apollo program. Its role is simple but crucial: propel the Orion spacecraft and its crew directly toward the Moon in a single launch, without requiring orbital assembly.

The Orion spacecraft, for its part, is designed for deep-space missions. Its heat shield, the largest ever built, must withstand temperatures of nearly 2,800°C during atmospheric reentry at over 40,000 km/h. This will also be the first time a crewed spacecraft has faced reentry at this speed since the Apollo missions.

Why is this mission so important?

Artemis II is not a simple repetition of the past. The Artemis program is part of a long-term vision that goes well beyond simply returning to the Moon. The goal is to establish a sustainable human presence there through the future Gateway lunar space station and surface bases. This presence will serve as a springboard for an even more audacious ambition: sending humans to Mars.

The AVATAR scientific study aboard Artemis II illustrates this vision. It uses organ-on-chip technology to study the effects of cosmic radiation and microgravity on human health — data essential for preparing future long-duration interplanetary voyages.

Furthermore, the international dimension of the program is significant. Jeremy Hansen's participation symbolizes the partnership between NASA and the Canadian Space Agency, but Artemis also involves Europe and Japan. This international cooperation strengthens the program's legitimacy in the face of growing competition from China, which is developing its own crewed lunar program.

The countdown has begun

The crew entered quarantine on March 18 at Johnson Space Center in Houston. They will travel to Florida on March 27 for final preparations. The launch window opens on April 1 and extends through April 6, 2026, offering several opportunities in case of unfavorable weather conditions or last-minute technical issues.

For NASA, the stakes are considerable. After the success of the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022, which validated the SLS and Orion systems, this second mission must prove that the American space agency is capable of safely returning astronauts toward the Moon. A failure would significantly delay the entire program, while success would open the path to Artemis III and the long-awaited return to the lunar surface.

Artemis II represents a step toward new American crewed missions to the lunar surface, leading to a sustainable presence on the Moon.

While awaiting launch, the eyes of the entire world are turned toward Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center — the same pad that saw the Apollo missions depart. Humanity is about to resume the path to the Moon, and this time, it intends to stay.