54-Year wait ends: Artemis II set to chase the Moon

FLORIDA: The Moon has always fascinated humanity. Now, after 54 years, humans are returning to the lunar vicinity with the ultimate goal of settling there. This historic 10-day journey begins today as the Artemis 2 mission prepares to lift off from Florida, USA, with four astronauts on board at 3:54 am IST. Should weather or technical issues arise, the launch window remains open until April 6.

Mission Plan

The Artemis 2 crew will not land on the lunar surface. Instead, the Orion spacecraft will perform a "lunar flyby," orbiting Earth and swinging around the Moon before returning home. If this mission succeeds, it paves the way for Artemis 3, which is expected to land four astronauts on the Moon by 2028.

This follows the successful uncrewed Artemis 1 mission in 2022. The last time humans set foot on the Moon was in 1972 during the Apollo 17 mission.

Orion Crew

Commander: Reid Wiseman
Pilot: Victor Glover
Mission Specialists: Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen
Milestones: This mission marks the first time a woman (Koch) and a Black person (Glover) have been selected for a lunar mission. Jeremy Hansen also becomes the first non-American (Canadian) to travel to the Moon.

10-Day Journey

The Orion spacecraft will take three days to reach the Moon’s vicinity, spend four days performing critical manoeuvres and tests, and another three days returning to Earth.

During the flight, the crew will test life-support systems and study the effects of deep-space radiation on the human body. At its closest point, the spacecraft will fly within 7,600 kilometers of the lunar surface before swinging back toward Earth.

How to Watch Live

Live streaming begins one hour before the 3:54 am launch. You can watch the event on NASA Plus, NASA TV, and NASA's official YouTube channel.

Building a Moon Base

The long-term goal of the Artemis program is to establish a permanent human base on the Moon, similar to the International Space Station (ISS). While the ISS orbits just 400 kilometers above Earth, the Moon sits approximately 400,000 kilometers away—presenting a much greater challenge for human habitation.