Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed mission of the Artemis program, scheduled no earlier than March 2026. The mission will send four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon using the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft. It will not land on the Moon but will test life support, navigation and deep-space systems ahead of future lunar landings under Artemis III and beyond.
Artemis is NASA’s long‑term program to return humans to the Moon and build a sustained presence there. The experience gained will support future crewed missions to Mars. It isn’t a single mission. It’s a campaign involving multiple flights, landers, surface systems and a small lunar‑orbiting space station called Gateway.
The name is deliberate. Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology and the goddess of the Moon. NASA chose the name to honour the Apollo era and to signal a new chapter that includes sending the first woman and the first person of colour to the lunar surface.
Artemis I launched in late 2022. It was an uncrewed test flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft. Orion travelled to a distant retrograde orbit around the Moon and returned to Earth. The mission proved the rocket, the spacecraft, navigation, communications and the heat shield during high‑speed re‑entry.
Artemis II is the second flight of SLS and Orion. It will be the first to carry astronauts. It will not land on the Moon. NASA’s current plan includes:
The mission will launch the crew on SLS from Kennedy Space Centre, test Orion’s life support, communications, propulsion and manual and automated control in Earth orbit, fire Orion’s main engine to send the crew on a free‑return path around the Moon. It will loop around the far side of the Moon then return to Earth and splash down in the ocean It is essentially a dress rehearsal with people before NASA attempts a landing on Artemis III.
NASA has outlined at least four early missions:
Additional missions (Artemis V and beyond) are in planning stages. Their timing and configuration depend on budgets, technology readiness and political decisions.
Independent analyses and NASA documentation estimate that Artemis, including SLS, Orion, ground systems and early lunar missions, will cost about US$93 billion. The program beyond the first few missions remains dynamic.
Artemis is built on international cooperation. The diplomatic foundation is the Artemis Accords, a set of principles for peaceful exploration of the Moon, Mars and other celestial bodies.
NASA has deliberately integrated commercial providers into Artemis.
Human Landing System
Launch services
Commercial rockets such as SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy and Blue Origin’s New Glenn will deliver cargo and Gateway modules.
Orion
Lockheed Martin builds Orion and is exploring more commercial‑style service models to reduce cost.
Musk and Bezos are not peripheral players. Their companies are central to the lander and cargo architecture, even though NASA still owns and operates SLS and Orion for crew launch.
The new Moon race is driven by:
NASA frames Artemis around science and exploration. In practice, it also sits within a global strategic environment where other major powers, especially China, are pursuing their own lunar ambitions.
China’s lunar program, the Chang’e series, has achieved orbiters, landers, rovers and sample‑return missions. It plans:
China is not part of the Artemis Accords. US law restricts NASA from bilateral cooperation with China.
Russia attempted to restart its lunar program with Luna 25 in 2023, which crashed during descent. It plans to continue the Luna series and partner with China on the ILRS. Russia has not joined the Artemis Accords.
Why they’re not involved
Two parallel lunar frameworks are emerging: Artemis and the ILRS.
Orion
Orion is NASA’s deep‑space crew vehicle. It carries astronauts from Earth to lunar orbit and back. Orion does not land on the Moon. It is the transport and lifeboat for deep‑space missions.
Key elements:
Space Launch System (SLS)
SLS is NASA’s heavy‑lift rocket designed to send Orion and its crew to the Moon in a single launch. SLS is government‑owned and operated. It is also one of the most expensive parts of the program, which is why its long‑term role is debated.
It includes:
Artemis is the successor era to Apollo. It aims for a long‑term human presence on and around the Moon. Artemis I proved the hardware. Artemis II will be the first crewed test flight. Artemis III and later missions will build infrastructure, expand science and prepare for Mars. The program is funded, international and commercially integrated. It exists in a competitive global environment where China and Russia are pursuing their own lunar paths. Orion is the crew ship. SLS is the rocket that sends it to the Moon. Together, they mark the beginning of a new chapter in human space exploration.
Image: From left to right, Artemis II NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot, and Christina Koch, mission specialist, and Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist, pose for a photograph during rollout of NASA’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft to Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, January 2026. Since then, engineers have been preparing for the wet dress rehearsal, a two-day test that simulates launch day. Image Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
Artemis II is scheduled to launch no earlier than March 2026 from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
No. Artemis II will fly around the Moon and return to Earth. The first planned landing is Artemis III.
The crew includes Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen.
The mission is expected to last about 10 days.
NASA estimates early Artemis missions will cost approximately US$93 billion through the first phases.
Many analysts describe Artemis and China’s lunar program as a new era of strategic competition in space.
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PLUS Ticket Inclusions
– Seating – reclined chair
– Sleeping Bag (in cooler months)
– Loan of an audio unit
– Optics suitable for the event*
– Side table
– Food and beverage service
Extras at Time of Booking
– Ear phones (or bring your own)
– Hot chocolate
– Options for other food, drinks
* Varies according to conditions.
** Only used in reclined chairs.
Standard Ticket Inclusions
– Seating
– Loan of an audio unit
– Optics suitable for the event*
Extras at Time of Booking
– Ear phones (or bring your own)
– Hot chocolate
– Reclined chair
– Reclined chair, sleeping bag**
– Options for other food, drinks
* Varies according to conditions.
** Only used in reclined chairs.
We use an audio system in most of our sky shows.
You should remember to bring your 3.5mm round plug/jack earphones – or you can purchase some when making an online booking if they are required for your event.
The following earphone connectors are not suitable – flat-style Apple Lightning, USB, Bluetooth or WiFi.