jsc2026e020048 (April 2, 2026) – Flight Dynamics Officer Natasha Peake in Mission Control during Artemis II’s translunar injection burn on April 2, 2026, which not only sent the crew in Orion out of Earth orbit and on a trajectory toward the Moon, but also set them on the course that will ultimately bring them home for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
art002e000180 (April 1, 2026) - This black and white image of Earth was captured by the optical navigation sensor on the exterior of the Orion spacecraft on the first day of the Artemis II mission, as the four astronauts inside were traveling farther than any humans have ventured in more than 50 years.
art002e009006 (April 4, 2026) - The Artemis II crew took this photo on day 4 of their journey to the Moon. In it, the Moon is oriented with the South Pole at the top and are beginning to see parts of the lunar far side. Orientale basin is on the right edge of the lunar disk in this image. Artemis II marks the first time that humans have seen the entire basin. The Artemis II crew will continue to observe Orientale from multiple angles as they approach the Moon and throughout the lunar flyby. Orientale is the textbook multi-ring impact basin used as a baseline to compare other impact craters on rocky worlds from Mercury to Pluto.
art002e009210 (April 6, 2026) - Before going to sleep on flight day 5, the Artemis II crew snapped one more photo of the Moon, as it drew close in the window of the Orion spacecraft. Orion and the four humans aboard entered the lunar sphere of influence at 12:37 a.m. EDT on April 6, at the tail end of the fifth day of their mission. That marked the point at which the Moon's gravity had a stronger pull on the spacecraft than the Earth's. Artemis II's closet approach to the Moon will come on flight day 6, as they swing around the far side before beginning their journey back to Earth. About an hour after entering the lunar sphere of influence, Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch said, "We are now falling to the Moon rather than rising away from Earth. It is an amazing milestone!"
jsc2026e022246 (April 10, 2026) - NASA's Orion spacecraft carrying Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, along with Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), splashes down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California, at 5:07 p.m. PDT, (8:07 p.m. EDT) on Friday, April 10, 2026. The Artemis II test flight launched on Wednesday, April 1, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to begin its 10-day journey around the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars. NASA’s Landing and Recovery team and the U.S. military are coordinating efforts to extract the Artemis II crew from the Orion spacecraft.
U.S. Navy divers and Artemis II astronauts aboard an inflatable raft are approached by helicopters and lifted away to the recovery ship after egressing NASA’s Orion spacecraft carrying Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, along with Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), following splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California, at 5:07 p.m. PDT, (8:07 p.m. EDT) on Friday, April 10, 2026. The Artemis II test flight launched on Wednesday, April 1, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to begin its 10-day journey around the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars. NASA’s Landing and Recovery team and the U.S. military are helping the Artemis II crew out of their Orion spacecraft.
U.S. Navy divers and Artemis II astronauts aboard an inflatable raft are approached by helicopters and lifted away to the recovery ship after egressing NASA’s Orion spacecraft carrying Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, along with Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), following splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California, at 5:07 p.m. PDT, (8:07 p.m. EDT) on Friday, April 10, 2026. The Artemis II test flight launched on Wednesday, April 1, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to begin its 10-day journey around the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars. NASA’s Landing and Recovery team and the U.S. military are helping the Artemis II crew out of their Orion spacecraft.
jsc2026e022269 (April 11, 2026) - Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover (top) and Mission Specialist Christina Koch (center) return home to Houston, stepping off a plane at Ellington Airport near NASA's Johnson Space Center, on Saturday, April 11, 2026, following their 10-day mission around the Moon. They launched April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and splashed down off the coast of California on Friday, April 10, 2026.
jsc2026e022261 (April 11, 2026) - U.S. Navy divers and Artemis II astronauts aboard an inflatable raft are approached by helicopters and lifted away to the recovery ship after egressing NASA’s Orion spacecraft carrying Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, along with Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), following splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California, at 5:07 p.m. PDT, (8:07 p.m. EDT) on Friday, April 10, 2026. The Artemis II test flight launched on Wednesday, April 1, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to begin its 10-day journey around the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars. NASA’s Landing and Recovery team and the U.S. military are helping the Artemis II crew out of their Orion spacecraft.
art002e009277 (April 6, 2026) - In this view of the Moon, taken by the Artemis II crew at 2:19 p.m. EDT, just before the crew began their observation period, Orientale basin is visible in the center, with a black patch of ancient lava in the center that punched through the Moon’s crust in an eruption billions of years ago. This 600-mile-wide impact crater lies along the transition between the near and far sides and is sometimes partly visible from Earth. The small, bright crater to its left is Byrgius, which has 250-mile rays extending out from its basin.
art002e009279 (April 6, 2026) – During their lunar flyby observation period, the Artemis II crew captured this image at 3:41 p.m. EDT, showing the rings of the Orientale basin, one of the Moon’s youngest and best-preserved large impact craters. These concentric rings offer scientists a rare window into how massive impacts shape planetary surfaces, helping refine models of crater formation and the Moon’s geologic history. At the 10 o’clock position of the Orientale basin, the two smaller craters – which the Artemis II crew has suggested be named Integrity and Carroll – are visible. These features highlight how crew observations can directly support surface feature identification and real-time science.
art002e009278 (April 6, 2026) - Just over half of the Moon fills the left half of the image. The near side, characterized by the dark patches of ancient lava, is visible on the top third of the lunar disk. Orientale basin, a round crater in the center with a black patch of ancient lava in the center, is wrapped in rings of mountains. The round black spot northeast of Orientale is Grimaldi crater, and Aristarchus crater is the bright white dot in the midst of a dark grey lava flow at the top of the image.
art002e016204 (April 6, 2026) – NASA astronaut and Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover pictured here in the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II lunar flyby. Glover and his fellow crewmates spent approximately seven hours taking turns at the Orion windows capturing science data to share with their team back on Earth. At closest approach, they came within 4,067 miles of the Moon’s surface.
jsc2026e022247 (April 10, 2026) - NASA's Orion spacecraft carrying Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, along with Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), splashes down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California, at 5:07 p.m. PDT, (8:07 p.m. EDT) on Friday, April 10, 2026. The Artemis II test flight launched on Wednesday, April 1, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to begin its 10-day journey around the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars. NASA’s Landing and Recovery team and the U.S. military are coordinating efforts to extract the Artemis II crew from the Orion spacecraft.
art002e013361 (April 7, 2026) – The Artemis II crew – (clockwise from left) Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover – pause for a group photo inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home. Following a swing around the far side of the Moon on April 6, 2026, the crew exited the lunar sphere of influence (the point at which the Moon's gravity has a stronger pull on Orion than the Earth's) on April 7, and are headed back to Earth for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on April 10.
art002e013367 (April 7, 2026) – The Artemis II crew – (clockwise from left) Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover – take time out for a group hug inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home. Following a swing around the far side of the Moon on April 6, 2026, the crew exited the lunar sphere of influence (the point at which the Moon's gravity has a stronger pull on Orion than the Earth's) on April 7, and are headed back to Earth for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on April 10. The crew was selected in April 2023, and have been training together for their mission for the past three years.
art002e013356 (April 7, 2026) – The Artemis II crew – (from left) Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Pilot Victor Glover, and Commander Reid Wiseman – pause for a group photo inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home. Following a swing around the far side of the Moon on April 6, 2026, the crew exited the lunar sphere of influence (the point at which the Moon's gravity has a stronger pull on Orion than the Earth's) on April 7, and are headed back to Earth for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on April 10.
art002e004439 (April 3, 2026) - CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen – in the center of the image – peers out the window of the Orion spacecraft on day 3 of NASA's Artemis II mission. The controls over the commander and pilot seats are illuminated in the foreground, but the cabin is otherwise dark to avoid unnecessary glares on the windows.
art002e00444 (April 3, 2026) - An illuminated sliver of Earth set against the blackness of space is seen through the window of the Orion spacecraft in this photograph from the Artemis II crew on the third day of their journey to the Moon.
art002e010782 (April 6, 2026) - In this view captured by the Artemis II crew on the Orion spacecraft, a wedge of the Moon in nighttime is visible in the foreground, as the Sun is setting on the opposite side. This image captures the beginning of a total solar eclipse that astronauts were able to observe at the end of their lunar observation period during Orion’s closest approach to the Moon on April 6, 2026. Unlike minutes-long eclipses as viewed from Earth, the Artemis II crew witnessed the Sun hide behind the Moon for nearly an hour. Because the astronauts were so near the Moon, it appeared much larger than the Sun; because of this, it took longer for the Sun to make its transit across the Moon and peek out the other side. From Earth, in contrast, the Moon and Sun appear about the same size, so even small changes in their alignment quickly bring the Sun back into view, making totality much shorter. The bright rays of light, or streamers, that are running outward towards the bottom of the Moon disk are part of the Sun's corona. The corona is the outermost layer of the Sun's atmosphere and is only visible during a total solar eclipse. It is normally hidden by the bright light of the Sun's surface. In addition, the jagged edge of the Moon visible in this image reveals the topography of backlit mountains on the horizon.
jsc2026e021201 (April 7, 2026) - Members of the International Space Station Expedition 74 (left) and Artemis II (right) crews are seen at once on the screens inside the International Space Station flight control room in Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The two crews connected in a 15-minute ship-to-ship call on April 7, 2026, while the Artemis II crew was on its way back from the Moon.
art002e016165 (April 6, 2026) – NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman pictured here in the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II lunar flyby. Wiseman and his fellow crewmates spent approximately seven hours taking turns at the Orion windows capturing science data to share with their team back on Earth. At closest approach, they came within 4,067 miles of the Moon’s surface.
jsc2026e022320 (April 11, 2026) - NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman greets Artemis II Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen at the Artemis II crew’s return home to Houston on Saturday, April 11, 2026. The crew flew in to Ellington Airport near NASA’s Johnson Space Center and were greeted by friends, family, and colleagues following their return from a 10-day mission around the Moon and back. They launched April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and splashed down off the coast of California on Friday, April 10, 2026.
jsc2026e022274 (April 11, 2026) - Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover (top) and Mission Specialist Christina Koch (center) return home to Houston, stepping off a plane at Ellington Airport near NASA's Johnson Space Center, on Saturday, April 11, 2026, following their 10-day mission around the Moon. They launched April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and splashed down off the coast of California on Friday, April 10, 2026.
jsc2026e022272 (April 11, 2026) - Artemis II Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen returns home to Houston, stepping off a plane at Ellington Airport near NASA's Johnson Space Center, on Saturday, April 11, 2026, following his 10-day mission around the Moon. He and his three fellow crew members launched April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and splashed down off the coast of California on Friday, April 10, 2026.
jsc2026e022271 (April 11, 2026) - Artemis II Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen (center) returns home to Houston, stepping off a plane at Ellington Airport near NASA's Johnson Space Center, on Saturday, April 11, 2026, following his 10-day mission around the Moon. He and his three fellow crew members launched April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and splashed down off the coast of California on Friday, April 10, 2026.
jsc2026e022273 (April 11, 2026) - Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch returns home to Houston, stepping off a plane at Ellington Airport near NASA's Johnson Space Center, on Saturday, April 11, 2026, following her 10-day mission around the Moon. She and her three fellow crew members launched April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and splashed down off the coast of California on Friday, April 10, 2026.
jsc2026e022276 (April 11, 2026) - Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman returns home to Houston, stepping off a plane at Ellington Airport near NASA's Johnson Space Center, on Saturday, April 11, 2026, following his 10-day mission around the Moon. He and his three fellow crew members launched April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and splashed down off the coast of California on Friday, April 10, 2026.
jsc2026e022275 (April 11, 2026) - Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover returns home to Houston, stepping off a plane at Ellington Airport near NASA's Johnson Space Center, on Saturday, April 11, 2026, following his 10-day mission around the Moon. He and his three fellow crew members launched April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and splashed down off the coast of California on Friday, April 10, 2026.
jsc2026e022270 (April 11, 2026) - Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover returns home to Houston, stepping off a plane at Ellington Airport near NASA's Johnson Space Center, on Saturday, April 11, 2026, following his 10-day mission around the Moon. He and his three fellow crew members launched April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and splashed down off the coast of California on Friday, April 10, 2026.
CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut and Artemis II Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen is greeted by NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins and other members of the NASA astronaut corps on his return home to Houston, at Ellington Airport on Saturday, April 11, 2026, following a 10-day trip around the Moon and back. Hansen and his three fellow crew members launched April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and splashed down off the coast of California on Friday, April 10, 2026.
jsc2026e022278 (April 11, 2026) - Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman is greeted by NASA's Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche on his return home to Houston, at Ellington Airport on Saturday, April 11, 2026, following a 10-day trip around the Moon and back. Wiseman and his three fellow crew members launched April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and splashed down off the coast of California on Friday, April 10, 2026.
jsc2026e022280 (April 11, 2026) - Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman is greeted by NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya on his return home to Houston, at Ellington Airport on Saturday, April 11, 2026, following a 10-day trip around the Moon and back. Wiseman and his three fellow crew members launched April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and splashed down off the coast of California on Friday, April 10, 2026.
jsc2026e022281 (April 11, 2026) - Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch is greeted by NASA's Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche on her return home to Houston, at Ellington Airport on Saturday, April 11, 2026, following a 10-day trip around the Moon and back. Koch and her three fellow crew members launched April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and splashed down off the coast of California on Friday, April 10, 2026.
jsc2026e022282 (April 11, 2026) - Commander Reid Wiseman is greeted by NASA's Flight Operations Director Norm Knight on his return home to Houston, at Ellington Airport on Saturday, April 11, 2026, following a 10-day trip around the Moon and back. Wiseman and his three fellow crew members launched April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and splashed down off the coast of California on Friday, April 10, 2026.
jsc2026e022277 (April 11, 2026) - Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover is greeted by NASA's Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche on his return home to Houston, at Ellington Airport on Saturday, April 11, 2026, following a 10-day trip around the Moon and back. Glover and his three fellow crew members launched April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and splashed down off the coast of California on Friday, April 10, 2026.
jsc2026e022283 (April 11, 2026) - Commander Reid Wiseman is greeted by NASA's Flight Operations Director Norm Knight on his return home to Houston, at Ellington Airport on Saturday, April 11, 2026, following a 10-day trip around the Moon and back. Wiseman and his three fellow crew members launched April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and splashed down off the coast of California on Friday, April 10, 2026.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman greets Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover at the Artemis II crew’s return home to Houston on Saturday, April 11, 2026. The crew flew in to Ellington Airport near NASA’s Johnson Space Center and were greeted by friends, family, and colleagues following their return from a 10-day mission around the Moon and back. They launched April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and splashed down off the coast of California on Friday, April 10, 2026.
art002e009280 (April 6, 2026) – Earthrise captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 7:22 p.m. ET during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon’s far side. Earth appears as a delicate crescent, with only its left edge illuminated. The planet’s soft blue hue and scattered white cloud systems stand out on the right against the blackness of space, while the left side fades into night. Taken with a 400 mm lens, the image, Earthrise, reveals a striking alignment of Earth and Moon. In the foreground on the right, a portion of the Moon in night is barely visible save for its edge, which stands out in stark contrast against the illuminated side of Earth on the left. Along the Moon’s edge, rugged terrain is silhouetted against the bright crescent Earth. This photo was rotated 90 degrees clockwise for standard viewing orientation.
art002e009301 (April 6, 2026) – Captured by the Artemis II crew during their lunar flyby on April 6, 2026, this image shows the Moon fully eclipsing the Sun. From the crew’s perspective, the Moon appears large enough to completely block the Sun, creating nearly 54 minutes of totality and extending the view far beyond what is possible from Earth. We see a glowing halo around the dark lunar disk. The science community is investigating whether this effect is due to the corona, zodiacal light, or a combination of the two. Also visible are stars, typically too faint to see when imaging the Moon, but with the Moon in darkness stars are readily imaged. This unique vantage point provides both a striking visual and a valuable opportunity for astronauts to document their observations during humanity’s return to deep space. The faint glow of the nearside of the Moon is visible in this image, having been illuminated by light reflected off the Earth.
art002e009299 (April 6, 2026) – Captured from the Orion spacecraft near the end of the Artemis II lunar flyby on April 6, this image shows the Sun beginning to peek out from behind the Moon as the eclipse transitions out of totality. Only a portion of the Moon is visible in frame, its curved edge revealing a bright sliver of sunlight returning after nearly an hour of darkness. In final moments of the eclipse observed by the crew, the reemerging light creates a sharp contrast against the Moon’s silhouette and reveals lunar topography not usually visible along the lunar limb. This fleeting phase captures the dynamic alignment of the Sun, Moon, and spacecraft as Orion continues its journey back from the far side of the Moon.
art002e012279 (April 6, 2026) - A view from the window of the Orion spacecraft approximately 9 minutes before Earthset during the Artemis II lunar flyby on April 6, 2026.
art002e009302 (April 6, 2026) – The Artemis II crew – Mission Specialist Christina Koch (top left), Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen (bottom left), Commander Reid Wiseman (bottom right), and Pilot Victor Glover (top right) – uses eclipse viewers, identical to what NASA produced for the 2023 annular eclipse and 2024 total solar eclipse, to protect their eyes at key moments during the solar eclipse they experienced during their lunar flyby. This was the first use of eclipse glasses at the Moon to safely view a solar eclipse.
art002e012178 (April 7, 2026) - A shot from early in the Artemis II lunar flyby, taken with a smaller aperture setting, shows a moodier version of the Moon than some of the other flyby images with more typical lighting settings. The four crew members spent about 7 hours photographing and recording observations of the Moon as they flew around the far side on April 6, 2026.
art002e012278 (April 6, 2026) - The Moon seen peeking above the window sill of the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II lunar flyby on April 6, 2026. The Artemis II crew spent about 7 hours at the Orion windows during the flyby, taking photos and recording observations on the Moon to share with scientists on the ground.
art002e014231 (April 6, 2026) – NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman taking a moment during the seven-hour lunar observation period where the crew reported to the ground team their observations including color nuances, which will help enhance scientific understandings of the Moon. At the beginning of the window, as Orion approaches the Moon on the near side, the side we can see from Earth, people in parts of the eastern hemisphere can view some of the same features the astronauts will observe.
art002e014198 (April 6, 2026) – NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman taking a moment during the seven-hour lunar observation period where the crew reported to the ground team their observations including color nuances, which will help enhance scientific understandings of the Moon. At the beginning of the window, as Orion approaches the Moon on the near side, the side we can see from Earth, people in parts of the eastern hemisphere can view some of the same features the astronauts will observe.
art002e014256 (April 6, 2026) – CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut and Artemis II Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen is seen making observations through the Orion spacecraft window early in the Artemis II lunar flyby. Due to last approximately seven hours, the lunar observation period was the duration of time that the crew is close enough to the Moon to make impactful science observations (4,070 miles altitude at closest approach) and the spacecraft was oriented such that the windows are pointed at the Moon. Credit: NASA
art002e014235 (April 6, 2026) – CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut and Artemis II Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen is seen taking images through the Orion spacecraft window during the Artemis II lunar flyby. Hansen and his fellow crewmates spent approximately seven hours taking turns at the Orion windows capturing science data to share with their team back on Earth. At closest approach, they came within 4,067 miles of the Moon’s surface.
art002e016130 (April 6, 2026) – NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman pictured here in the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II lunar flyby. Wiseman and his fellow crewmates spent approximately seven hours taking turns at the Orion windows capturing science data to share with their team back on Earth. At closest approach, they came within 4,067 miles of the Moon’s surface.
art002e014195 (April 6, 2026) – NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman pictured here in the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II lunar flyby. Wiseman and his fellow crewmates spent approximately seven hours taking turns at the Orion windows capturing science data to share with their team back on Earth. At closest approach, they came within 4,067 miles of the Moon’s surface.
art002e016247 (April 6, 2026) – Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover, on the left, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch, on the right, gather images and observations of the lunar surface to share with the world during the lunar flyby on the sixth day of the mission. The crew spent approximately seven hours taking turns at the windows of the Orion spacecraft as they flew around the far side of the Moon. At closest approach, they came within 4,067 miles of the Moon’s surface. Credit: NASA
art002e016195 (April 6, 2026) – Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover, on the left, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch, on the right, gather images and observations of the lunar surface to share with the world during the lunar flyby on the sixth day of the mission. The crew spent approximately seven hours taking turns at the windows of the Orion spacecraft as they flew around the far side of the Moon. At closest approach, they came within 4,067 miles of the Moon’s surface.
art002e016136 (April 6, 2026) – CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut and Artemis II Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen is seen taking images through the Orion spacecraft window during the Artemis II lunar flyby. Hansen and his fellow crewmates spent approximately seven hours taking turns at the Orion windows capturing science data to share with their team back on Earth. At closest approach, they came within 4,067 miles of the Moon’s surface.
art002e016171 (April 6, 2026) – CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut and Artemis II Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen pictured here in the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II lunar flyby. Hansen and his fellow crewmates spent approximately seven hours taking turns at the Orion windows capturing science data to share with their team back on Earth. At closest approach, they came within 4,067 miles of the Moon’s surface.
art002e016172 (April 6, 2026) – NASA astronaut and Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch pictured here in the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II lunar flyby. Koch and her fellow crewmates spent approximately seven hours taking turns at the Orion windows capturing science data to share with their team back on Earth. At closest approach, they came within 4,067 miles of the Moon’s surface.
art002e016198 (April 6, 2026) – NASA astronaut and Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover pictured here in the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II lunar flyby. Glover and his fellow crewmates spent approximately seven hours taking turns at the Orion windows capturing science data to share with their team back on Earth. At closest approach, they came within 4,067 miles of the Moon’s surface.
jsc2026e021206 (April 7, 2026) - Members of the International Space Station Expedition 74 (left) and Artemis II (right) crews are seen at once on the screens inside the International Space Station flight control room in Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The two crews connected in a 15-minute ship-to-ship call on April 7, 2026, while the Artemis II crew was on its way back from the Moon.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Sept. 3 at 2:17 p.m. ET. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Sept. 3 at 2:17 p.m. ET. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Sept. 3 at 2:17 p.m. ET. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Sept. 3 at 2:17 p.m. ET. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Sept. 3 at 2:17 p.m. ET. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Sept. 3 at 2:17 p.m. ET. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Sept. 3 at 2:17 p.m. ET. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Sept. 3 at 2:17 p.m. ET. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Sept. 3 at 2:17 p.m. ET. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Sept. 3 at 2:17 p.m. ET. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Sept. 3 at 2:17 p.m. ET. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Sept. 3 at 2:17 p.m. ET. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Sept. 3 at 2:17 p.m. ET. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Sept. 3 at 2:17 p.m. ET. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Sept. 3 at 2:17 p.m. ET. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Sept. 3 at 2:17 p.m. ET. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Sept. 3 at 2:17 p.m. ET. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Sept. 3 at 2:17 p.m. ET. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
jsc2025e034746 (April 2, 2025) -- Artemis II crew with the Artemis II mission patch. Photo Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz
jsc2025e034750 (April 2, 2025) -- Artemis II crew with the Artemis II mission patch. Photo Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz
art002e009298 (April 6, 2026) – A close-up view from the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II crew’s lunar flyby on April 6, 2026, captures a total solar eclipse, with only part of the Moon visible in the frame as it fully obscures the Sun. We see a glowing halo around the dark lunar disk. The science community is investigating whether this effect is due to the corona, zodiacal light, or a combination of the two. From this deep-space vantage point, the Moon appeared large enough to sustain nearly 54 minutes of totality, far longer than total solar eclipses typically seen from Earth. The bright silver glint on the left edge of the image is the planet Venus. The round, dark gray feature visible along the Moon’s horizon between the 9 and 10 o’clock positions is Mare Crisium, a feature visible from Earth. We see faint lunar features because light reflected off of Earth provides a source of illumination.
jsc2025e056603 --- The Artemis II Lunar Science Team runs a simulation of lunar observation operations in the new Science Evaluation Room (SER) that serves as a backroom to Mission Control.
jsc2026e022296 (April 11, 2026) - NASA’s Artemis II mission specialist, Christina Koch, shared brief remarks with friends, family, and colleagues after they landed at Ellington Airport near NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Saturday, April 11, 2026, after a nearly 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. Credit: NASA/Helen Arase Vargas
jsc2026e022279 (April 11, 2026) - Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman is greeted by NASA's Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche on his return home to Houston, at Ellington Airport on Saturday, April 11, 2026, following a 10-day trip around the Moon and back. Wiseman and his three fellow crew members launched April 1, 2026, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and splashed down off the coast of California on Friday, April 10, 2026.
jsc2026e022295 (April 11, 2026) - NASA’s Artemis II crew members, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, during the brief remarks with friends, family, and colleagues after they landed at Ellington Airport near NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Saturday, April 11, 2026, after a nearly 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. Credit: NASA/Bill Stafford
jsc2026e022294 (April 11, 2026) - CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, shared brief remarks with friends, family, and colleagues after they landed at Ellington Airport near NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Saturday, April 11, 2026, after a nearly 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. Credit: NASA/Bill Stafford
The sun sets as NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 carrying the agency’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft, secured to the mobile launcher, rolls toward Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 01/17/2026. The Artemis II test flight will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), around the Moon and back to Earth no later than April 2026.
The sun sets as NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 carrying the agency’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft, secured to the mobile launcher, rolls toward Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 01/17/2026. The Artemis II test flight will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), around the Moon and back to Earth no later than April 2026.
NASA and Northrop Grumman completed a solid rocket booster motor ground test for future flights of the agency’s Space Launch System rocket at Northrop Grumman’s test facility in Promontory, Utah, July 21. The booster motor, called Flight Support Booster-2 (FSB-2), fired for a little over two minutes and produced more than 3.6 million pounds of thrust. Test data will be used to evaluate improvements and new materials in the boosters for missions after Artemis III. When SLS launches the Artemis missions to the Moon, its two five-segment solid rocket boosters produce more than 75% of the initial thrust. The SLS boosters are the largest, most powerful boosters ever built for flight. For more information about SLS, visit nasa.gov/sls
NASA and Northrop Grumman completed a solid rocket booster motor ground test for future flights of the agency’s Space Launch System rocket at Northrop Grumman’s test facility in Promontory, Utah, July 21. The booster motor, called Flight Support Booster-2 (FSB-2), fired for a little over two minutes and produced more than 3.6 million pounds of thrust. Test data will be used to evaluate improvements and new materials in the boosters for missions after Artemis III. When SLS launches the Artemis missions to the Moon, its two five-segment solid rocket boosters produce more than 75% of the initial thrust. The SLS boosters are the largest, most powerful boosters ever built for flight. For more information about SLS, visit nasa.gov/sls
NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 carrying the agency’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft, secured to the mobile launcher, begins the 4.2-mile journey toward Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. Seen in the background is also mobile launcher 2, which will be used on future Artemis flights beginning with Artemis IV. The Artemis II test flight will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), around the Moon and back to Earth no later than April 2026.
NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 carrying the agency’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft, secured to the mobile launcher, begins the 4.2-mile journey toward Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. Seen in the background is also mobile launcher 2, which will be used on future Artemis flights beginning with Artemis IV. The Artemis II test flight will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), around the Moon and back to Earth no later than April 2026.
NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 carrying the agency’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft, secured to the mobile launcher, begins the 4.2-mile journey toward Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. Seen in the background is also mobile launcher 2, which will be used on future Artemis flights beginning with Artemis IV. The Artemis II test flight will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), around the Moon and back to Earth no later than April 2026.
Crawler-transporter 2 (CT-2) makes its way along the crawlerway to Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 21, 2022. In view atop the mobile launcher on the pad are the Artemis I Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft. The SLS and Orion atop the mobile launcher were transported to the pad on CT-2 for a prelaunch test called a wet dress rehearsal. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of the SLS and Orion spacecraft. In future Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems. The mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Sept. 3 at 2:17 p.m. ET. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jared Lyons)
NASA finished assembling and joining the main structural components for the largest rocket stage the agency has built since the Saturn V that sent Apollo astronauts to the Moon. Engineers at the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans connected the last of the five sections of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket core stage Sept. 19. The stage will produce 2 million pounds of thrust to send Artemis I, the first flight SLS and NASA’s Orion spacecraft to the Moon. The engine section is located at the bottom of the 212-foot-tall stage and houses the four RS-25 engines. The core stage’s two liquid propellant tanks and four RS-25 engines will produce more than 2 million pounds of thrust to send the SLS rocket and Orion on the Artemis lunar missions. The engine section houses the four RS-25 engines and includes vital systems for mounting, controlling and delivering fuel form the propellant tanks to the rocket’s engines. Offering more payload mass, volume capability and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit and Orion, is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and the Artemis lunar program. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission.
NASA finished assembling and joining the main structural components for the largest rocket stage the agency has built since the Saturn V that sent Apollo astronauts to the Moon. Engineers at the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans connected the last of the five sections of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket core stage Sept. 19. The stage will produce 2 million pounds of thrust to send Artemis I, the first flight SLS and NASA’s Orion spacecraft to the Moon. The engine section is located at the bottom of the 212-foot-tall stage and houses the four RS-25 engines. The core stage’s two liquid propellant tanks and four RS-25 engines will produce more than 2 million pounds of thrust to send the SLS rocket and Orion on the Artemis lunar missions. The engine section houses the four RS-25 engines and includes vital systems for mounting, controlling and delivering fuel form the propellant tanks to the rocket’s engines. Offering more payload mass, volume capability and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit and Orion, is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and the Artemis lunar program. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission.
NASA finished assembling and joining the main structural components for the largest rocket stage the agency has built since the Saturn V that sent Apollo astronauts to the Moon. Engineers at the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans connected the last of the five sections of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket core stage Sept. 19. The stage will produce 2 million pounds of thrust to send Artemis I, the first flight SLS and NASA’s Orion spacecraft to the Moon. The engine section is located at the bottom of the 212-foot-tall stage and houses the four RS-25 engines. The core stage’s two liquid propellant tanks and four RS-25 engines will produce more than 2 million pounds of thrust to send the SLS rocket and Orion on the Artemis lunar missions. The engine section houses the four RS-25 engines and includes vital systems for mounting, controlling and delivering fuel form the propellant tanks to the rocket’s engines. Offering more payload mass, volume capability and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit and Orion, is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and the Artemis lunar program. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission.
NASA finished assembling and joining the main structural components for the largest rocket stage the agency has built since the Saturn V that sent Apollo astronauts to the Moon. Engineers at the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans connected the last of the five sections of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket core stage Sept. 19. The stage will produce 2 million pounds of thrust to send Artemis I, the first flight SLS and NASA’s Orion spacecraft to the Moon. The engine section is located at the bottom of the 212-foot-tall stage and houses the four RS-25 engines. The core stage’s two liquid propellant tanks and four RS-25 engines will produce more than 2 million pounds of thrust to send the SLS rocket and Orion on the Artemis lunar missions. The engine section houses the four RS-25 engines and includes vital systems for mounting, controlling and delivering fuel form the propellant tanks to the rocket’s engines. Offering more payload mass, volume capability and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit and Orion, is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and the Artemis lunar program. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission.
NASA finished assembling and joining the main structural components for the largest rocket stage the agency has built since the Saturn V that sent Apollo astronauts to the Moon. Engineers at the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans connected the last of the five sections of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket core stage Sept. 19. The stage will produce 2 million pounds of thrust to send Artemis I, the first flight SLS and NASA’s Orion spacecraft to the Moon. The engine section is located at the bottom of the 212-foot-tall stage and houses the four RS-25 engines. The core stage’s two liquid propellant tanks and four RS-25 engines will produce more than 2 million pounds of thrust to send the SLS rocket and Orion on the Artemis lunar missions. The engine section houses the four RS-25 engines and includes vital systems for mounting, controlling and delivering fuel form the propellant tanks to the rocket’s engines. Offering more payload mass, volume capability and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit and Orion, is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and the Artemis lunar program. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission.
NASA finished assembling and joining the main structural components for the largest rocket stage the agency has built since the Saturn V that sent Apollo astronauts to the Moon. Engineers at the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans connected the last of the five sections of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket core stage Sept. 19. The stage will produce 2 million pounds of thrust to send Artemis I, the first flight SLS and NASA’s Orion spacecraft to the Moon. The engine section is located at the bottom of the 212-foot-tall stage and houses the four RS-25 engines. The core stage’s two liquid propellant tanks and four RS-25 engines will produce more than 2 million pounds of thrust to send the SLS rocket and Orion on the Artemis lunar missions. The engine section houses the four RS-25 engines and includes vital systems for mounting, controlling and delivering fuel form the propellant tanks to the rocket’s engines. Offering more payload mass, volume capability and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit and Orion, is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and the Artemis lunar program. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission.
A close-up view of the treads on crawler-transporter 2 (CT-2) as the behemoth vehicle moves along the crawlerway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 22, 2021. Teams are working to ensure the crawlerway, the path the CT-2, mobile launcher, and Space Launch System rocket with Orion atop will take from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B, is strong enough to withstand the weight and provide stability for the Artemis I mission. CT-2 carrying mobile launcher platform 1, used during the shuttle program, was driven back and forth on the crawlerway with several cement blocks, each weighing about 40,000 pounds to strengthen the crawlerway for launch. Artemis I will be the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. Under the Artemis program, NASA aims to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024 and establish sustainable lunar exploration by the end of the decade.