NASA Space Launch System and Orion lift off at night for Artemis II from Kennedy Space Center

NASA / Michael DeMocker

First crewed Artemis flight

Around the Moon for all humanity

Artemis II carried four astronauts aboard Orion on a nearly 10-day journey around the Moon and back — the first crewed test of NASA’s deep-space Artemis systems.

~10 days flight

695,081 miles flown (NASA)

4 astronauts · NASA & CSA

SLS + Orion

Mission overview Meet the crew

For enthusiasts

Why this flight matters

Artemis II was NASA’s first crewed test of the Space Launch System and Orion in lunar space. Building on uncrewed Artemis I, the crew validated life support, navigation, communications, manual piloting, emergency procedures, and recovery — clearing the path for Artemis III surface missions.

Read NASA’s Artemis II mission page →

Crew

Four explorers, one spacecraft

Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Hammock Koch (NASA) and Jeremy Hansen (CSA).

Commander

Reid Wiseman

NASA

NASA / Robert Markowitz

Pilot

Victor Glover

NASA

NASA / Robert Markowitz

Mission Specialist

Christina Hammock Koch

NASA

NASA / Robert Markowitz

Mission Specialist

Jeremy Hansen

CSA (Canadian Space Agency)

NASA / Riley McClenaghan

Full crew bios

Artemis II SLS rocket and Orion rolling out to Launch Pad 39B

Timeline

From pad 39B to splashdown

Launch, Earth checkout orbits, translunar injection, lunar flyby, and Pacific recovery — a compact deep-space shakedown cruise.

NASA / Brandon Hancock

Explore the mission timeline →

Orion spacecraft for Artemis II lifted into a vacuum chamber for testing

Vehicles

SLS and Orion

The heavy-lift rocket that can send Orion toward the Moon in a single launch, and the crew vehicle built to sustain astronauts in deep space and return them through Earth’s atmosphere.

NASA

Spacecraft overview →

Family & kids

Learn together this week

Science-museum style activities — no screens required. Soft partner slots for future LEGO / STEM kits live below.

Draw Orion

Sketch the crew module and European Service Module. Label the windows, heat shield, and solar arrays. Compare your drawing with NASA gallery photos.

LEGO build night

Build any rocket or lunar scene you have at home. Talk about thrust, stages, and why Artemis II tested systems with crew before landing missions.

Stargazing checklist

Find the Moon. Note its phase. Ask: what did the crew see during the far-side flyby? Look with your own eyes first; then, if you like, check a sky chart or app.

Future LEGO and STEM learning partners will appear in the labeled “Our partners” section — never as fake NASA endorsements.

Our partners

Quiet support for learning

Placeholder affiliate slots. Live partner links will be labeled and disclosed. No banners above the fold.

STEM / LEGO partner slot
(coming soon)

Books & learning partner slot
(coming soon)

Family activity partner slot
(coming soon)