Nasa’s Artemis II flight update: When will it reach the Moon, who is the crew, and what happens next

NASA’s Artemis II flight update: On Wednesday, NASA confirmed that the Orion spacecraft has successfully separated from the Artemis II mission. NASA has successfully launched the Artemis II mission, marking the first crewed mission to the moon’s vicinity since the Apollo programme ended in 1972. The 322-foot Space Launch System (SLS) rocket lifted off at 6:35pm ET (5:05 AM IST) today, Wednesday, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, sending the Orion crew capsule on a 10-day journey.

Who are the four astronauts on Artemis II?

Reid Wiseman, the mission commander, is a former US Navy pilot and test pilot. He became a Nasa astronaut in 2009 and spent 165 days on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2014.

The ship’s pilot is Victor Glover, who lived on the ISS from November 2020 to May 2021 and was also the pilot of SpaceX Crew-1. He will be the first Black astronaut to fly on a Moon mission and holds three master’s degrees.

Mission specialist Christina Koch holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman (328 days) after becoming an astronaut in 2013. She will also be the first woman to travel around the Moon.

The other mission specialist on the team is Jeremy Hansen, who will become the first Canadian to go to the Moon. He previously lived underwater for seven days as part of his aquanaut work with Nasa.

Standing on the shoulders of giants.

As the Artemis II crew prepares for launch no earlier than April 1, they recently took a moment to pay homage to the Apollo 10 crew and the groundwork they laid for the Artemis II Moon mission. pic.twitter.com/uP8LpIDkcp
— NASA Artemis (@NASAArtemis) March 31, 2026

Artemis II flight update: How long does it take to get to the Moon?

The Artemis II crew are due to fly around the Moon on 6 April. The unmanned Artemis I flight, the predecessor to this year’s mission, reached the Moon on day six of its mission in 2022.

Apollo 8 currently holds the record for being the fastest crewed mission to the Moon after taking just under three days – 69 hours and eight minutes. It was also the first crewed flight to orbit the celestial body.

Unmanned objects can reach the Moon more quickly, with Nasa’s New Horizon’s probe passing the moon in eight hours and 35 minutes when it departed for Pluto in 2006, though it didn’t approach lunar orbit.

Liftoff.

The Artemis II mission launched from @NASAKennedy at 6:35pm ET (2235 UTC), propelling four astronauts on a journey around the Moon.

Artemis II will pave the way for future Moon landings, as well as the next giant leap — astronauts on Mars. pic.twitter.com/ENQA4RTqAc
— NASA (@NASA) April 1, 2026

NASA’s Artemis II Crew Launches To The Moon: Watch the Official Broadcast

Artemis II flight update: How does Artemis II fit into Nasa’s Moon plans?

The Artemis I mission took place in 2022, and saw Nasa’s mega moon rocket – the Space Launch System – and the Orion capsule fly for the first time on a 25-day mission around the Moon. But there were no humans onboard.

For Artemis II, astronauts are very much at the front and centre of the mission. The crew will be the first people to fly in the SLS and Orion as they travel around the Moon. Their mission will last about 10 days.

Artemis IV will see astronauts land on the lunar surface – Nasa says by 2028. However this is an ambitious timeline. A lander has to be selected, built and tested, and there are delays with the spacesuit that the future Moonwalkers will wear.

In later Artemis missions there are plans for a lunar space station called Gateway that will orbit around the Moon, as well as the construction of a Moon base.

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Artemis II flight update: Why has Nasa sent astronauts to circle the Moon?

More than 50 years have passed since America’s Apollo missions landed humans on the Moon for the first time in July 1969. And, while Nasa’s Artemis II crew won’t make a lunar landing themselves, their mission over the next 10 days will to pave the way for the next human footsteps on the Moon.

During their trip the four astronauts will fly 6,400 miles (10,299km) beyond the far side of the Moon, which always faces away from the Earth – marking the first time this has taken place.

Nasa says that during this three-hour period, the crew will “analyse and photograph geologic features, such as impact craters and ancient lava flow”, which will help future missions to explore the Moon’s South Pole region.

Studies on the astronauts’ health will also help Nasa to better understand how deep space travel influences the human mind and body, protecting astronauts on future lunar missions as well as travel to Mars.

If the crew pass safely around the Moon on this trip, Nasa’s goal is for Artemis IV and V to become lunar landing missions – and is aiming for both to happen in 2028.