Overview
- Officials cited an opening launch opportunity on February 5, 2026, and emphasized that schedule decisions will prioritize safety during final testing.
- The crew comprises Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover (pilot), Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen, marking the first human voyage beyond low Earth orbit in more than 50 years.
- Orion atop the SLS will launch from Kennedy Space Center, execute a free‑return around the Moon reaching at least about 9,200 km beyond it, and splash down in the eastern Pacific near San Diego after roughly 10 days.
- Artemis II will carry human‑health studies including organoid research and the “Avatar” chip to assess radiation and microgravity effects, alongside real‑time monitoring of sleep, activity, and biological samples.
- NASA still targets a lunar landing on Artemis III no earlier than 2027, with timing dependent on technical progress, funding, and commercial readiness such as SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System, as China pursues a crewed landing by 2030.