NASA’s Artemis II is coming: The space jargon cheat sheet you need before NASA’s moon mission

NASA’s upcoming Artemis II mission is set to mark a historic milestone in space exploration, as humanity gets ready to return to the Moon for the first time in over five decades. The last time astronauts landed on the lunar surface took place during the Apollo program in the 1960s and 1970s, with Apollo 17 completing the final crewed Moon landing in 1972.

First crewed flight of Artemis program

The Artemis II mission is set to launch on April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will be a 10-day crewed flight that will voyage around the Moon and return to Earth without landing. This mission marks the first instance of astronauts flying aboard NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft alongside in a crewed configuration.


The mission follows the uncrewed Artemis I flight, which successfully tested the system in lunar orbit in 2022. Artemis II currently moves the program into its human spaceflight phase, paving the way for future lunar landings.

Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft

The SLS rocket is a super-heavy launch vehicle developed mainly by Boeing, with contributions from the Boeing–Lockheed Martin joint venture United Launch Alliance. Standing at more than 322 feet tall, the rocket is made to carry astronauts and cargo deep into space.

Astronauts will travel inside the Orion spacecraft, which is designed to aid crew life in long-duration missions. NASA has also cited that astronauts will periodically take manual control of the spacecraft in major phases of the lunar flyby, adding a significant human element to the mission’s functions.

The Artemis II crew

The mission will carry four astronauts:

• Reid Wiseman (NASA), commander and former U.S. Navy test pilot who earlier spent six months aboard the International Space Station in 2014
  
• Victor Glover (NASA), former test pilot and SpaceX Crew-1 pilot
  
• Christina Koch (NASA), engineer and record-holder for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, spending 328 days in space
  
• Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency), former fighter pilot and the first Canadian astronaut assigned to a lunar mission
  

Together, the crew features an international collaboration focused at advancing deep space exploration.

Mission goals and future plans

NASA leadership has established long-term objectives for the Artemis program, including returning humans to the lunar surface before the end of the decade and developing a sustained presence on the Moon. Upcoming missions, beginning with Artemis III, are expected to achieve lunar landings.

Officials have also discussed broader goals like building lunar infrastructure, which includes potential nuclear power systems to aid long-term exploration and research, as part of attempts to strengthen leadership in space exploration.

A stepping stone to deep space exploration

Artemis II is regarded as a significant step toward future missions to the Moon and potentially Mars. While it will not involve landing on the lunar surface, it will test spacecraft systems, life support, navigation, and human performance in deep space conditions.

As NASA remains to expand its exploration roadmap, Artemis II represents the first crewed mission in a new era of lunar exploration one that builds on Apollo’s legacy while aiming far beyond it.

FAQs:

Q1. What is Artemis II?
Artemis II is a crewed NASA mission that will fly around the Moon. It marks the first human lunar flyby in over 50 years.

Q2. When will Artemis II launch?
The mission is scheduled for April 1, 2026. It will launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.