Artemis II: NASA’s Historic Return to the Moon After 54 Years

Four astronauts have departed Earth orbit and are currently on a trajectory toward the Moon following the successful execution of a critical engine burn.

On Thursday, the Orion spacecraft completed a translunar injection burn, consisting of an approximately six-minute firing of the service module engine. This maneuver accelerated the spacecraft to break free of Earth’s gravitational orbit, marking the first time humans have departed Earth orbit since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

The crew consists of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, alongside Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The mission began on April 1, 2026, when the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:35 p.m. EDT.

Dr. Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, stated that the spacecraft is operating with a crew in space for the first time, allowing the agency to gather critical data and learn from each step of the process. Glaze noted that the milestone represents meaningful progress for the broader Artemis program.

The Artemis II mission is designed as a 10-day test flight to support subsequent missions aimed at returning humans to the lunar surface. The current flight plan involves a lunar flyby at a planned distance of 4,700 miles (7,600 kilometers) before the spacecraft returns to Earth.

NASA is tracking the mission’s progress through various platforms, including NASA+, Amazon, X, Facebook, and Twitch. The crew is currently engaged in eight intensive days of function as they proceed toward the Moon.

The mission is scheduled to conclude with a landing in the Pacific Ocean, currently planned for April 10 at 5:21 p.m. PDT.