Artemis II: NASA's Crewed Lunar Flyby Mission

In a nod to the Apollo program, NASA’s Artemis II mission is set to send four astronauts on a high-speed lunar fly-around. The mission will propel the crew several thousand miles beyond the moon, execute a U-turn, and return to Earth – a journey lasting less than 10 days.

Mission Overview: A Quick Lunar Trip

Unlike Apollo missions that involved lunar landings, Artemis II is designed as a test flight. NASA aims to gather valuable data and prepare for future missions that will ultimately return astronauts to the lunar surface. This upcoming flight is the first step in a broader plan to establish a long-term human presence on the moon.

Meet the Artemis II Crew

The Artemis II crew is a diverse and international team comprised of Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. The astronauts range in age from 47 to 50 and bring a wealth of experience to the mission.

Crew Highlights

  • Christina Koch holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, with 328 days aboard the International Space Station and participation in the first all-female spacewalk.
  • Victor Glover was the first Black astronaut to live and work on the International Space Station, and also launched with SpaceX.
  • Jeremy Hansen, representing the Canadian Space Agency, is the only spaceflight rookie on the crew.
  • Reid Wiseman, the mission commander, is a retired Navy captain and former head of NASA’s astronaut corps.

The Space Launch System (SLS) Rocket

The Artemis II mission will utilize NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, standing at 322 feet tall. While shorter than the Saturn V rocket used during the Apollo program, the SLS is designed to be more powerful at liftoff, thanks to its strap-on boosters. The rocket will carry the Orion capsule, which will house the astronauts.

The SLS uses liquid hydrogen as fuel, a system that previously caused issues with the Space Shuttle program and the initial SLS test flight in 2022. Hydrogen leaks also impacted the launch schedule for Artemis II, initially delaying the mission.

Flight Path and Key Milestones

Following liftoff, the astronauts will spend approximately 25 hours orbiting Earth. They will then practice docking maneuvers with the separated upper stage of the rocket. The Orion capsule will then be propelled towards the moon on a “free-return trajectory,” leveraging the gravitational forces of Earth and the moon to minimize fuel consumption.

Reaching the Lunar Far Side

On flight day six, Orion will reach its farthest point from Earth, sailing 5,000 miles beyond the moon. This will surpass the distance record set by Apollo 13, making the Artemis II astronauts the most distant travelers in history. The crew anticipates capturing unprecedented images of the lunar far side, a region largely unexplored by humans.

The crew will be equipped with professional cameras and smartphones, the latter added to the mission by NASA administrator Jared Isaacman to encourage inspiring photography. Their observations of the lunar far side will be particularly valuable, as only China has previously landed spacecraft on that side of the moon.

Return to Earth and Heat Shield Concerns

After the lunar flyby, the crew will begin their journey back to Earth, with a planned splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on flight day 10. A critical aspect of the return will be the performance of Orion’s heat shield, which experienced damage during the 2022 test flight.

NASA is mitigating heat exposure during reentry by shortening the capsule’s atmospheric descent. Navy recovery ships will be stationed off the coast of San Diego to retrieve the crew and capsule after splashdown.