Artemis II Mission Set to Orbit the Moon’s Dark Side

Humans last set foot on the Moon during NASA’s Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Now, the agency is on a mission to return to the lunar surface through its Artemis program, named after the Greek goddess and twin sister of Apollo, who was also the namesake of NASA’s initial lunar exploration efforts.

Despite facing years of delays, development challenges, and significant budget overruns, the Artemis program is undeniably ambitious. Its primary objective is to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon, moving beyond mere flag-planting and footprint-making. A key milestone of the program is to send the first woman to the Moon.

Artemis I successfully completed its uncrewed mission in 2022. On April 2, 2026, Artemis II launched from Kennedy Space Center with four astronauts aboard the Orion capsule. This mission aims to orbit the Moon before returning to Earth in 10 days, testing the hardware and systems that will pave the way for humans to walk on the Moon again during the Artemis IV mission, scheduled for 2028.

On Monday, April 6, NASA’s livestream will be available on YouTube and Netflix as the Artemis II astronauts aim to break the record for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth, coinciding with a planned communication blackout as Orion passes behind the Moon.