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The first crewed test flight under NASA’s Artemis program is underway. Four Artemis II astronauts are flying aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft around the Moon and back, as they test how the spacecraft’s systems operate in a deep space environment.

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen lifted off at 6:35 p.m. EDT on April 1 from launch pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Real-time coverage continues throughout the mission on NASA’s YouTube channel. The agency also provides a separate live stream of views from the Orion spacecraft as bandwidth allows, as well as inside the capsule. In addition NASA is providing the latest mission imagery online.

Daily mission status briefings are held live from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston through splashdown, except for Monday, April 6, due to lunar flyby activities. A list of activities is regularly updated online.

The crew are participating in live conversations throughout the mission, which were scheduled prior to their departure from Earth. NASA will provide the exact times of each of these downlink events, as well as the latest mission coverage, on the Artemis blog.

To track Orion in space, visit: nasa.gov/trackartemis

Frequently Asked Questions (all times Eastern):

How long is the Artemis II mission? NASA’s Artemis II mission is an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon including launch, a lunar flyby, and a safe splashdown off the coast of San Diego.

How far will Artemis II travel? Crew is expected to travel a total of 695,081 miles from launch to splashdown. The spacecraft will pass within 4,066 miles of the lunar surface during its closest approach and will reach a maximum distance of 252,757 miles from Earth, about 4,102 miles farther than Apollo 13.

When and where will the Artemis II crew and Orion spacecraft splashdown?

The location and time of our Artemis II splashdown will continue to shift as mission milestones are reached. In the days leading up to splashdown, updates will be available on NASA’s website and in our daily news conferences. Mission media events are available on the agency’s website.

NASA’s Artemis II mission is scheduled to splash down off the coast of San Diego at approximately 8:07 p.m. EDT (5:07 p.m. PDT) on Friday, April 10. Following splashdown, recovery teams will retrieve the crew using helicopters and deliver them to the USS John P. Murtha. Once aboard, the astronauts will undergo post-mission medical evaluations in the ship’s medical bay before traveling back to shore to meet with an aircraft bound for NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

What is the crew doing on this mission? Artemis II astronauts are putting the Orion spacecraft through a series of planned tests to evaluate systems, procedures, and performance in deep space. They will conduct manual spacecraft operations and monitor automated activities; evaluate Orion’s life-support, propulsion, power, thermal, and navigation systems; perform proximity operations activities; assess habitability and crew interfaces; and participate in science activities, including lunar surface observations and human health studies, that will inform science operations on future Moon missions. They also will practice mission-critical activities, including trajectory adjustments, communications at lunar distances, and piloting Orion during key phases of flight, culminating in a re-entry and splashdown to further validate the spacecraft’s performance with crew aboard.

What can we expect to see during lunar flyby? All times are subject to change. Here’s a rough schedule of activities:

• Live coverage begins at 1 p.m., and continues through 9:45 p.m.
• 1:30 p.m.: NASA hosts a conversation between the crew and the science officer in NASA’s Mission Control Center at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, to go over the objectives and timeline for the flyby.
  • Because the Sun’s angle on the Moon shifts by about one degree every two hours, the crew could not know the exact lighting conditions to expect on the lunar surface until after launch. This briefing provides one final opportunity to review details before the flyby begins.
• 7:05 p.m.: The Artemis II crew is expected surpass the record previously set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970 for the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth.
  • The Apollo 13 crew traveled 248,655 miles from Earth; Artemis II will reach a maximum distance of 252,757 miles from Earth, surpassing the record by about 4,102 miles. The crew is expected to make remarks on the milestone around 2:10 p.m.
• 2:45 p.m.: The seven-hour lunar observation period begins. Crew will see both the near and far sides of the Moon as the observation period begins.
  • Because room at Orion’s windows is limited, the crew will divide into pairs, with two crew members observing for 55 to 85 minutes, while the pair exercises or completes on other tasks.
• 6:47 p.m.: Mission control expects to temporarily lose communication with the crew as Orion passes behind the Moon.
• 7:02 p.m.: Astronauts will make their closest approach to the Moon, the reach its farthest point from Earth at 7:05 p.m.
  • At this distance, the Moon will appear to the astronauts about the size of a basketball held at arm’s length. They also may be the first humans to see some parts of the Moon’s far side with the unaided eye.
• 7:27 p.m.: NASA’s Mission Control Center should re-acquire communication with the astronauts.
• 9:20 p.m.: The flyby observation period wraps, and crew will begin transferring some of the imagery to the ground. NASA’s science team will review the images and observations overnight, and then discuss with crew the following day, while the experience is still fresh.

Why do we need astronauts to view the Moon when we have robotic observers? Human eyes and brains are highly sensitive to subtle changes in color, texture, and other surface characteristics. Having astronaut eyes observe the lunar surface directly, in combination with the context of all the advances that scientists have made about the Moon over the last several decades, may uncover new discoveries and a more nuanced appreciation for the features on the surface of the Moon.

Though the crew will not be able to downlink all their imagery before they return    to Earth, as much as possible will be made available on the Artemis II Multimedia website. Additional imagery will also be added as it is processed following splashdown.

What do the astronauts eat during the mission? The Artemis II crew has access to 189 unique menu items during their mission, including 10 different beverages like coffee and smoothies. Common food items include tortillas, nuts, barbeque beef brisket, cauliflower, macaroni and cheese, butternut squash, cookies, and chocolate. Food flying aboard Artemis II is designed to support crew health and performance during the mission around the Moon. Menu selections are developed with space food experts and the crew to balance calorie needs, hydration, and nutrient intake while accommodating individual preferences. For more information about their menu, visit here.

What are the goals of the Artemis II Mission? The Artemis II test flight will confirm the systems necessary to support astronauts in deep space exploration and prepare to establish a sustained presence on the Moon. The primary goal of Artemis II is a crewed test flight in lunar space. There are five main additional priorities for Artemis II:

• Crew: Demonstrate the ability of systems and teams to sustain the flight crew in the flight environment, and through their return to Earth.
• Systems: Demonstrate systems and operations essential to a crewed lunar campaign. This ranges from ground systems to hardware in space, and operations spanning from development to launch, flight, and recovery.
• Hardware and Data: Retrieve flight hardware and data, assessing performance for future missions.
• Emergency Operations: Demonstrate emergency system capabilities and validate associated operations to the extent practical, such as abort operations and rescue procedures, as needed.
• Data and Subsystems: Complete additional objectives to verify subsystems and validate data.

Can I talk to the crew aboard Orion during their mission? During their mission, crew will participate in several live and taped downlinks with news outlets, administration officials, and more. These opportunities were allocated prior to their launch. A schedule of these events is available on the agency’s website.

What is the Artemis II zero-gravity indicator and how was it selected? NASA’s Artemis II crew selected Rise as their zero-gravity indicator for the mission. A zero-gravity indicator is a small plush item that flies along with a crew to visually indicate when they are in space. Rise was designed by Lucas Ye from Mountain View, California, as a tribute to the iconic Earthrise moment from the Apollo 8 mission, which deeply resonated with the crew. Rise was fabricated by NASA’s Thermal Blanket Lab at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. NASA worked with the company Freelancer to hold a Moon Mascot Design Challenge to design the zero-gravity indicator for Artemis II, which drew more than 2,600 submissions from more than 50 countries, including from K-12 students.

How many cameras are installed on the Orion spacecraft? Orion is carrying 32 cameras and devices, including any instrument with a lens capable of capturing photos or video, inside or on the exterior of the vehicle. The systems support engineering, navigation, crew monitoring, and a range of lunar science and outreach activities. Fifteen cameras are mounted directly to the spacecraft, and 17 are handheld cameras operated by the crew.

Artemis Program FAQs

Artemis II will travel around the Moon but will not land on its surface. Why is this mission so important? The Artemis II test flight is NASA’s first crewed Artemis mission. Astronauts on their first flight aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft will confirm the spacecraft’s systems operate as designed with crew aboard in the actual environment of deep space. The unique Artemis II mission profile builds on the uncrewed Artemis I flight test by demonstrating a broad range of SLS (Space Launch System) and Orion capabilities needed on deep space missions. This mission will verify Orion’s life support systems can sustain astronauts on longer-duration missions ahead and allow the crew to practice operations essential to Artemis III and beyond.

What is the next mission for NASA’s Artemis program and the agency? NASA is aligning agencywide initiatives to achieve President Donald J. Trump’s National Space Policy and advance American leadership in space. During an Ignition event on March 24 at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. Among the updates, NASA is prioritizing the Artemis program launch cadence, a robust U.S. presence in low Earth orbit, the creation of a Moon Base, breakthrough science, space nuclear power and propulsion, and investment in the NASA workforce to deliver on the agency’s mission with urgency. Learn more on the agency’s website: https://www.nasa.gov/ignition.

For more information about the Artemis mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-ii

NASA astronaut Christina Koch reads on a tablet in the dimly lit Orion crew capsule in this April 3, 2026, photo. To the right of the image’s center, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen is seen in profile peering out of one of Orion’s windows. Lights are turned off to avoid glare on the windows.

On the third day of the Artemis II mission, the astronauts began preparing Orion’s cabin for lunar flyby. They also exercised, practiced medical response procedures, and tested the spacecraft’s emergency communications system in deep space.

Keep up with the astronauts’ activities by reading the Artemis blog and watching NASA’s 24/7 live feed.

Image credit: NASA

NASA, Northrop Grumman, and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than 8:49 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 8, for the next launch delivering science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station.

Filled with approximately 11,000 pounds of cargo, the Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL spacecraft, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The mission is known as NASA’s Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 24, or Northrop Grumman CRS-24.

Watch the agency’s launch and arrival coverage on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.

Following launch, astronauts aboard the space station will use the Canadarm2 robotic arm to capture the Cygnus XL on Friday, April 10, before ground controllers install it to the Unity module’s Earth-facing port for cargo unloading.

Highlights of space station research and technology demonstrations being delivered aboard this Cygnus XL spacecraft include:

• A new module for the Cold Atom Lab to advance quantum science that could improve computing technology and aid in the search for dark matter
• Hardware to produce a greater number of therapeutic stem cells for blood diseases and cancer
• Model organisms to study the gut microbiome
• A receiver that could enhance space weather models that protect critical space infrastructure such as GPS and radar

Media interested in speaking to a science subject matter expert should contact Sandra Jones at sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov.

The spacecraft is scheduled to remain at the orbiting laboratory until October before departing with several thousand pounds of trash and burning up harmlessly during re-entry.

Northrop Grumman named the spacecraft the S.S. Steven R. Nagel in honor of the former NASA astronaut who flew four space shuttle missions, logging more than 720 hours in space.

NASA’s mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern; subject to change based on real-time operations):

Wednesday, April 8

8:30 a.m.: Launch coverage begins on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.

8:49 a.m.: Launch

Friday, April 10

12:30 a.m.: Arrival coverage begins on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.

1:10 a.m.: Capture

NASA website launch coverage
Launch day coverage of the mission will be available on the NASA website. Coverage will include live streaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 8:30 a.m. April 8 as the countdown milestones occur.

On-demand streaming video on NASA+ and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff. For questions about countdown coverage, contact NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida newsroom at 321-867-2468. Follow countdown coverage on our International Space Station blog for updates.

Attend launch virtually

Members of the public can register to attend this launch virtually. NASA’s virtual guest program for this mission also includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes, and a stamp for the NASA virtual guest passport following launch.

Watch, engage on social media

Let people know you’re watching the mission on X, Facebook, and Instagram by following and tagging these accounts:
 
X: @NASA, @NASASpaceOps, @NASAKennedy, @Space_Station, @ISS_CASIS

Facebook: NASA, NASAKennedy, ISS, ISS National Lab

Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @ISS, @ISSNationalLab

Learn more about the mission at:

https://www.nasa.gov/event/nasas-northrop-grumman-crs-24/

-end-

Josh Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov

Amanda Griffin
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-876-2468
amanda.a.griffin@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

Business attire, headsets, and multiple computer monitors are a much different backdrop than hiking gear, rock hammers, and the volcanic fields of Iceland. For Kelsey Young of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and Trevor Graff and Angela Garcia of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, comfort and skill across both environments have made them uniquely suited to be certified as NASA’s first Artemis II science officers.  

The integration of science operations into human spaceflight dates back to Apollo, but Artemis introduces a new dedicated position in NASA’s Mission Control, marking an evolution of how science is embedded in mission operations.

“The science officer is the senior flight controller responsible for lunar science and geology objectives during Artemis missions,” said Young, who also serves as NASA’s Artemis II lunar science lead. “They will integrate with all the other console disciplines and ensure NASA’s lunar science objectives are seamlessly integrated into mission execution.”

The front room of Mission Control is filled with consoles, or workstations, each dedicated to a particular system or function of the mission. Flight controllers at each console monitor areas such as communications, life support, propulsion, and now, science. Many of the console positions are supported by larger teams of experts who work from either different “back rooms” at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, or other locations.

Young, Garcia, and Graff completed months of flight controller training, testing, and certification simulations in Mission Control, while also executing geology and lunar observation trainings and integrated simulations with the astronauts.

“One of the most exciting, challenging, and rewarding components of the process are the simulations, where we tested our skills and knowledge while immersed in very realistic mission scenarios,” said Graff.

The simulations often included the Artemis II astronauts and covered the lunar flyby portion of the mission, planned for Monday, April 6, during which time the crew will take photographs of the Moon and record audio of their observations. They will be the eyes of the lunar scientists on Earth and have gone through geology training in the classroom and in the field to be able to capture as much information as possible during their pass around the far side of the Moon. Young said the astronauts have worked incredibly hard at building their lunar science toolboxes, studying lunar geography, traipsing across lunar-like landscapes in Iceland, and cultivating their ability to provide scientifically impactful descriptions of the Moon.  

Listen to this audio clip from Kelsey Young talking about how the Artemis II astronauts have studied lunar geography to prepare for their mission. Credit: NASA’s Curious Universe

“After so many months of hearing their descriptions of lunar visualizations during simulations, I’m most excited for the very first time I hear them describing the actual Moon out of the Orion windows,” said Young. “Hearing the excitement and scientific meaning behind their descriptions will be an incredible moment.”

Human eyes and brains are highly sensitive to subtle changes in color, texture, and other surface characteristics. Having astronaut eyes observe the lunar surface directly, in combination with the context of all the advances that scientists have made about the Moon over the last several decades, may uncover new discoveries and a more nuanced appreciation for the features on the surface of the Moon. While Artemis II will not land on the lunar surface, its contributions to lunar science are significant.

“The crew will be exploring through observation—a foundational scientific tool,” said Garcia.

As the astronauts make those observations, their photos and recorded audio will be fed down to two science back rooms at NASA Johnson, the Science Evaluation Room and Science Mission Operations Room. Experts in these rooms will provide data analysis and strategic guidance in real time to the science officer in Mission Control. These processes represent a major component of Artemis II as a test flight: refining science mission operations.

This mission will test the lunar science team’s workflows, technical requirements, and integration into Mission Control. Lessons learned during Artemis II will pave the way for lunar science operations for future Artemis missions. Young explained that science integration into human spaceflight has a long, rich history. While there was no science representative in the front room of Mission Control during Apollo, there was a geology back room onsite at Johnson. As Apollo missions progressed, the structure of integrating with the rest of the flight control team evolved and the footprint expanded as the science capability of each mission grew.

Garcia said she is humbled, honored, and grateful to be a part of the flight control team and to have trained the astronauts. The Moon is something everyone, everywhere, can see and connect with, according to Young.

“I hope people all over the world can be inspired by this push away from our planet,” said Young, “I also hope they remember the Moon, how much we still have to learn about our nearest neighbor but also the special place it holds to people everywhere.”

Download high-res images and videos

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, born April 3, 1926, in Mitchell, Indiana. As one of NASA’s first seven astronauts, he became America’s second astronaut to fly in space when he launched aboard the Liberty Bell 7 spacecraft on July 21, 1961, just weeks after Alan Shepard’s historic first Project Mercury spaceflight.

In this photo, Grissom is seen enjoying a meal aboard the recovery ship, USS Randolph, following his 15-minute suborbital mission. Although the flight itself was smooth, the situation turned dangerous after splashdown when the capsule’s hatch blew prematurely and the spacecraft began flooding with water. Grissom escaped, but his spacesuit also filled with water as the recovery helicopters attempted to save his sinking spacecraft. He was successfully rescued, but the Liberty Bell 7 sank to the ocean floor.

Grissom made history again in March 1965 as the first NASA astronaut to fly in space twice, serving as commander of Gemini III, the first crewed Gemini mission, alongside John Young. Reflecting on this test flight, he wrote, “To our intense satisfaction we were able to carry out these maneuvers almost exactly as planned… The longer we flew, the more jubilant we felt. We had a really fine spacecraft, one we could be proud of in every respect.”

One year later, in March 1966, NASA announced that Grissom had been selected to command the first Apollo mission, with crewmates Edward White and Roger Chaffee. On January 27, 1967, tragedy struck during a preflight test at Cape Kennedy when fire swept through the command module. Grissom, White, and Chaffee lost their lives in an accident that stunned the nation and shook NASA to its core.

Just weeks before the tragedy, Grissom wrote: “There will be risks, as there are in any experimental program, and sooner or later, we’re going to run head-on into the law of averages and lose somebody. I hope this never happens, and… perhaps it never will, but if it does, I hope the American people won’t think it’s too high a price to pay for our space program.”

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