Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

NASA's Artemis II Set for First Crewed Lunar Flight Since 1972

3/15/2026

49 11

Summary

Story summary

NASA plans to launch Artemis II no earlier than April 1 after a flight readiness review, with windows from April 2–6 and April 30 if delayed.
The crew includes Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen.
The mission tests systems for future lunar exploration.
The launch pad rollout will occur on March 19.
It will be the first crewed flight since Apollo 17 in 1972.

History

Historical Context

The Apollo 17 mission, launched on December 7, 1972, was NASA's final crewed lunar landing, with astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt exploring the Moon's Taurus-Littrow valley. This mission concluded the Apollo program, which successfully landed 12 astronauts on the Moon across six missions. The upcoming Artemis II mission aims to build on this legacy, focusing on sustainable lunar exploration and future Mars missions.

1 of 2

Story summary

NASA plans to launch Artemis II no earlier than April 1 after a flight readiness review, with windows from April 2–6 and April 30 if delayed.
The crew includes Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen.
The mission tests systems for future lunar exploration.
The launch pad rollout will occur on March 19.
It will be the first crewed flight since Apollo 17 in 1972.

1 / 2