The mission Artemis II of NASA successfully launched on April 1, 2026, marking the first crewed flight to lunar orbit in more than 50 years.

The SLS rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying four astronauts for a ten-day mission around the Moon, paving the way for future lunar landings.

Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, NASA’s first female launch director, offered a few words to the crew before their historic flight.

“Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy: on this historic mission, you carry the heart of this Artemis team, the bold spirit of the American people and of our partners around the world, as well as the hopes and dreams of a new generation. Good luck, Godspeed. Artemis II. Let’s go!”.

The astronauts

Reid Wiseman

Commander

Reid Wiseman was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2009 and is currently assigned as the commander of NASA’s Artemis II mission to the Moon.

Victor Glover

Pilot

Victor J. Glover was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013 and is currently assigned as the pilot for NASA’s Artemis II mission to the Moon. Previously, he served as the pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station, as part of Expedition 64.

Christina Hammock Koch

Mission Specialist

Christina Hammock Koch was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013 and is currently assigned as a mission specialist on the Artemis II Moon mission. More recently, she served as a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station as part of Expeditions 59, 60 and 61.

Jeremy Hansen

Mission Specialist

Jeremy Hansen is a Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut, fighter pilot and Colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces, selected to fly on the lunar Artemis II mission. A former CF-18 pilot, he was selected as an astronaut in 2009 and is slated to become the first Canadian to travel to the Moon.