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September 11, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
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Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
Field Notes • Space

Artemis II

Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed Artemis mission and a crewed lunar flyby designed to test the Orion spacecraft, the Space Launch System rocket, and mission operations in deep space.

Updated September 11, 20261 min readCited sources

Artemis II was NASA’s first crewed Artemis mission, a lunar flyby that tested the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket. It carried four astronauts around the Moon and back, marking the first crewed trip beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17.

What it is

Artemis II was a crewed test flight around the Moon and back to Earth. It followed the uncrewed Artemis I mission and was designed to validate the integrated performance of Orion, SLS, and mission procedures.

Key details

The mission launched on April 1, 2026 and lasted about 10 days. The crew of four—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—flew aboard the Orion spacecraft named Integrity. After flying around the Moon, the spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 10, 2026.

Why it matters

Artemis II was the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. It served as a major step in NASA’s plan to return astronauts to the Moon and prepare for later deep-space missions, including Mars.

In short

  • First crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis program.
  • Lunar flyby, not a landing.
  • Tested Orion and SLS with astronauts on board.
  • Included first Canadian on a lunar mission, Jeremy Hansen.
Canadian angle

Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen flew on Artemis II, becoming the first Canadian and first non-American to participate in a lunar mission.

Quick questions

What was Artemis II?
Artemis II was NASA’s first crewed Artemis mission and a lunar flyby test flight using Orion and SLS.
Did Artemis II land on the Moon?
No. It flew around the Moon and returned to Earth without landing.
Who flew on Artemis II?
The crew was Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen.

Sources

  1. NASA — https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/
    Supports: Mission overview; first crewed Artemis flight; purpose and significance
  2. NASA — https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/johnson/artemis-ii-mission-milestones-an-image-and-video-recap/
    Supports: Launch date, crew, duration, splashdown details
  3. Canadian Space Agency — https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/missions/artemis-ii/mission.asp
    Supports: Jeremy Hansen’s role and Canadian significance
  4. European Space Agency — https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Orion/Artemis_II
    Supports: Crewed mission around the Moon; European Service Module role