Artemis II 

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Latest news on NASA Artemis and Artemis II, covering SLS, Orion spacecraft, lunar flyby, Moon landing missions, and crewed deep space exploration.

NASA's Artemis programme reached a landmark milestone when Artemis II launched on 1 April 2026, carrying four astronauts on a ten-day journey around the Moon — the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17 in December 1972. Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen flew aboard their Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on 10 April. The flight validated the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion in crewed deep-space conditions, and sets the stage for humanity's sustained return to the lunar surface.

The path to launch was turbulent: Artemis II was scrubbed in February 2026 following a liquid hydrogen leak, then again in March over a helium flow issue in the upper stage, before finally lifting off from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral. Mission architecture has also undergone significant revision. Artemis III, now targeted for mid-2027, will not land on the Moon; instead it will conduct Earth-orbit docking tests with commercial lunar landers — SpaceX's Starship HLS and Blue Origin's Blue Moon — and trial the Axiom Space AxEMU spacesuit. Artemis IV is now designated as the first crewed lunar landing, with Artemis V planned to follow and begin the construction of a permanent Moon base.

The Artemis programme places international and commercial collaboration at its core. The Artemis Accords — a framework for responsible lunar exploration — have been signed by dozens of nations, while partnerships with SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Axiom Space (whose AxEMU suits were co-designed with fashion house Prada) mark a new model for space exploration. The diverse Artemis II crew, which included the first Canadian astronaut to travel beyond low Earth orbit, reflected the programme's broader ambitions for inclusion in spaceflight.

The programme takes its name from Apollo's twin sister in Greek mythology, the goddess of the Moon — a deliberate link to the Apollo era that first brought humans to the lunar surface. Where Apollo was a sprint, Artemis is built for permanence: future landing missions will focus on the lunar south pole, where water ice deposits could sustain a long-term base and supply resources for eventual crewed missions to Mars. The decision in early 2026 to shelve the planned Lunar Gateway orbital station reflects a strategic shift towards surface infrastructure over orbital platforms.

The programme continues to face scrutiny over cost and pace, with the SLS rocket drawing criticism for its approximately $4 billion per-launch price tag and a complex development history stretching back to 2011. Budget proposals under the second Trump administration have raised questions about the rocket's future beyond Artemis III. These pressures are shaping the long-term architecture of how — and how quickly — humans will return to and settle on the Moon.

Our NewsNow NASA Artemis feed provides continuous, up-to-date coverage of every stage of the programme — from SLS stacking and Orion processing at Kennedy Space Center to Artemis Accords diplomacy, commercial lander development, and mission planning for the first crewed Moon landing in over 50 years. Whether you are following the science, the politics, or the human stories behind humanity's return to deep space, this feed is your essential resource.