Artemis II Has A Fast-Approaching Launch Date And New Streaming Show, Moonbound
Here’s your quick guide to all things Artemis II.
Humanity is headed back to our closest neighbor. In 2026, for the first time in the 21st century, a crewed mission to the Moon is finally happening again. The Artemis II mission, part of NASA’s Artemis program, has been aiming to put human beings back on the Moon, with the long-term intention of establishing a base on the Moon. The crew of Artemis II won’t be landing on the Moon, but they will be completing several orbits in an Orion spacecraft, NASA’s modern-day equivalent of the Saturn V.
With Moon fever sweeping the world for the first time in half a century, you may have a lot of questions. What is the purpose of Artemis? Who is going to the Moon? And what does this all mean for the future of human space exploration in our time?
Here are quick answers to your burning Artemis questions, from the launch date to the crew, the mission, and even how to watch the streaming documentary show about the mission.
What is the launch date window for Artemis II?
The current launch window for the Artemis II launch is no earlier than Sunday, February 8, 2026. An exact launch time has not yet been confirmed.
Artemis II’s Orion spacecraft will be launched via SLS (Space Launch System) from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex and will mark the first time a crewed mission to the Moon has been launched in 54 years. It follows the successful launch of Artemis I, which launched way back in 2022, and was an uncrewed lunar orbit mission. As of January 30, NASA announced that the Artemis II would not be fueled until February 2, due to a cold snap in Florida.
The last time humans have been to the Moon at all was the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The first orbit of the Moon, which is what the Artemis mission is all about, was the Apollo 8 mission, which launched on December 21, 1968, and achieved orbit of the Moon on December 24, 1968. Both in 1968 and now, it takes roughly three days to get to the Moon.
What is the Mission of Artremis II?
In a sense, all the Artemis missions are a kind of proof-of-concept. The overall goal of the Artemis program is to reestablish human abilities to land on the Moon, with the long-term goal of creating a permanent moonbase, which is thought to be a jumping-off point to get to Mars.
The entire mission will last roughly 10 days, which includes the launch, Earth orbit, Lunar orbit, and the return trip.
“The Artemis campaign is really a set of test flights,” Dr. Lori Glaze, Deputy Associate Administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, said in a new docuseries, Moonbound. “We haven’t been to the Moon in over 50 years. There are a lot of new systems we need to test out.”
Testing the Orion spacecraft is part of this mission, but Artemis II will also deploy four CubeSats in Earth’s orbit, small research satellites from Argentina, Germany, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia.
Will Artemis II land on the Moon?
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and the crew of Artemis on January 17, 2026.
Though Artemis II represents the first time humans are returning to the Moon since the Apollo days, the Orion spacecraft will not land on the lunar surface. Right now, the plan is that Artemis III will land on the Moon in 2028.
Who is in the crew of Artemis II?
The Artemis II crew: Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Reid Wiseman on January 17, 2026.
The crew of Artemis II includes three astronauts from NASA and one from the Canadian Space Agency. Those four intrepid human beings are:
- Reid Wiseman, Commander
- Victor Glover, Pilot
- Christina Koch, Mission Specialist 1
- Jeremy Hansen, Mission Specialist 2
Who is Reid Wiseman?
Reid Wiseman, Commander of Artemis II.
Wiseman has a long history with space flight and has logged 165 days in space, including stints aboard the International Space Station. In 2020, he was also Chief of the Astronaut Office, a role which he stepped down from to return to flight duty. He is originally from Baltimore.
Who is Victor Glover?
Victor Glover, the pilot of Artemis II.
Like many astronaut legends from the 1960s and 1970s, Glover’s background is that of a test pilot, meaning his flight experience is impressive and intense. He is also the first pilot to fly SpaceX’s Dragon. He’s been in space for a total of 167 days, including Expedition 64, the record-breaking ISS stint. Glover hails from Pomona, California. He will become the first person of color to orbit the Moon.
Who is Christina Koch?
Christina Koch, one of the mission specialists for Artemis II.
Koch’s background is that of an engineer and astrophysicist. She is one of two mission specialists for Artemis II, and will be largely responsible for checking to make sure the environmental and technical aspects of the Orion spacecraft are functioning correctly. Koch has logged 328 days in space prior to this mission, making her the person on the crew with the most time-in-space experience. She will become the first woman to orbit the Moon during the Artemis II mission. She is from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Who is Jeremy Hansen?
Jeremy Hansen is ready for the Moon.
Hansen is a Canadian astronaut originally from London, Ontario. Like Koch, he is a mission specialist for this flight. But, Hansen has flight experience owing to his time in the Royal Canadian Air Force, where he held the rank of Colonel. Though Hansen trained in NASA’s NEEMO 19, an underwater facility to simulate extreme environments, he has not yet been to space, making this flight to the Moon his first time.
Moonbound Streaming Show
There are a lot more details to dive into about Artemis II. And, in addition to the X feed from NASA and the NASA YouTube channel, there’s also a new streaming docuseries created by NASA called Moonbound. This streams on Nasa+, which is 100 percent free and can be watched right here. So far, there are two episodes, each about 30 minutes long.
