NASA Confirms Artemis II Launch Window
NASA has confirmed that the Artemis II mission is scheduled for launch in February 2026, marking the first crewed lunar flyby in more than five decades. The mission will send four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft on a journey around the Moon and back to Earth.
Mission and Crew Details
Artemis II will launch on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew includes three NASA astronauts and one Canadian astronaut. The mission will last about 10 days and will not include a lunar landing, focusing instead on testing spacecraft systems in deep space.
Key Objectives
The mission aims to validate life-support systems, navigation, communications, and overall crew performance beyond low Earth orbit. These tests are considered critical before NASA proceeds with future missions that plan to land astronauts on the Moon.
Step Toward Lunar Return
Artemis II is a major milestone in NASA’s broader Artemis programme, which seeks to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon and lay the groundwork for future crewed missions to Mars. Officials said preparations are on track ahead of the February launch window.
