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NASA Opens Artemis II Name Registry, Clarifies 2026 Launch Window

The first crewed test of SLS and Orion will send four astronauts on a roughly 10‑day lunar flyby to prove life‑support and deep‑space operations.

Overview

  • NASA says Artemis II has multiple launch opportunities from February through April 2026 and notes February 6 is only the first available day, not a confirmed date.
  • The agency’s outreach lets anyone register to have their name stored digitally aboard Orion, with sign‑ups now reported in the millions.
  • Artemis II will follow a figure‑eight trajectory reaching more than 370,000 kilometers from Earth and about 7,400 kilometers beyond the Moon before a Pacific splashdown.
  • The crew comprises NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
  • Planned onboard investigations focus on space radiation, human health, and communications and navigation to inform future lunar surface missions and eventual trips to Mars.