NASA confirms four astronauts for flight around the Moon in April 2026 on Artemis II

NASA confirmed that the Artemis II mission is maintained until April 2026.

Those selected are Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover (pilot), Christina Koch (mission specialist) and Jeremy Hansen (mission specialist), from Agência Espacial Canadense. The trip will last around 10 days and does not include a lunar landing – this step will be taken by Artemis III, scheduled for 2027.

The mission will serve as a dress rehearsal for long-duration operations and safe return to Terra after crossing deep space.

Official crew of Artemis II

Reid Wiseman, veteran of Estação Espacial Internacional, takes command. Victor Glover, who has already participated in SpaceX’s Crew-1, will be the pilot.

Christina Koch holds the female record for continuous stay in space (328 days) and will be the first woman on a mission beyond low orbit. Jeremy Hansen represents the partnership with Canadá and will be the first non-American to fly this far from Terra.

Critical testing of the Orion capsule

Orion will face extreme radiation and temperature conditions during the 10-day mission. Life support, propulsion and heat shield systems will be evaluated in real time.

The flight will include a free return trajectory, which will use lunar gravity to accelerate the capsule back to Terra at nearly 40,000 km/h. The heat shield will need to withstand 2,760°C upon atmospheric re-entry.

Initiative allows you to send a name to Lua

The “Send Your Name with Artemis” campaign remains open until December 31, 2025. The names are recorded on a chip and installed inside the Orion.

Leia Tambem

Colby Minifie confirms Ashley Barrett’s powers in The Boys season five

Napoli x Milan in Serie A with confirmed lineups and where to watch live

New battery test puts Galaxy S26 Ultra ahead of iPhone 17 Pro Max in global ranking

More than 3.5 million people have signed up since the initial announcement. The device will be protected against radiation and will follow the entire trajectory around Lua.

Timeline until launch

Preparations advance at Kennedy Space Center, at Flórida. The SLS rocket has already undergone complete static testing and the Orion capsule is in the final assembly phase.

The launch window opens on April 4, 2026 and spans several weeks. Qualquer significant delay could push the mission into the second half of 2026.

International partnership in the Artemis program

In addition to the Canadá, which secured a seat on the Artemis II in exchange for a robotic arm for the Gateway, another 30 countries signed the Acordos Artemis. Europa, Japão and Emirados Árabes also contribute modules and instruments.

Cooperation allows cost sharing and technical knowledge for a sustainable return to Lua.

Next steps after Artemis II

If the mission is successful, NASA will release the Artemis III, which will take the first humans to the lunar surface since 1972. The current date points to 2027, depending on the tests of SpaceX’s Starship as a lander.

The ultimate objective remains the establishment of a permanent base at the lunar south pole by the end of the decade.