The latest news about traveling to the Moon centers on NASA's Artemis II mission, which is now targeted to launch no earlier than February to April 2026. This mission will be the first crewed journey around the Moon in over 50 years, carrying four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen—on a 10-day lunar flyby and return trip. The mission aims to test vital life support and spacecraft systems in deep space, serving as a precursor to the Artemis III mission planned for 2027, which seeks to land astronauts on the lunar surface, including the Moon's south pole. Artemis II will not land on the Moon but will lay groundwork for sustainable human presence on the Moon and eventual Mars exploration. The powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft are central to this mission, with safety as NASA's top priority in final preparations. This mission marks a key milestone in human lunar exploration and is accompanied by scientific experiments on the effects of space travel on the human body. Artemis II's success is pivotal for validating technology and operations needed for future crewed landings and extended lunar habitation. In summary:
- Artemis II crewed lunar orbit mission planned for February to April 2026.
- First crewed lunar mission since Apollo ended in 1972.
- Four astronauts will circle the Moon in Orion spacecraft launched by NASA's SLS rocket.
- Mission duration about 10 days, testing life support and systems in lunar orbit.
- Artemis III planned for lunar landing no earlier than 2027.
- Focus on sustainable presence on Moon and Mars exploration groundwork.
All preparations, including assembly of Orion and the rocket, are advancing at Kennedy Space Center. The mission reflects a significant step toward NASA's renewed presence on the Moon and beyond.