While a new milestone for NASA, the Artemis II mission won’t break the record for the farthest that a human-rated spacecraft has ever traveled into space: In 2022, the same Orion module — with no astronauts aboard — had traveled 268,563 miles from Earth during an uncrewed Artemis I test mission around the moon.

NASA’s Artemis II mission has officially launched, marking humanity’s return to deep space for the first time in over 50 years. Launched on April 1, 2026, from Kennedy Space Center, this milestone mission sends astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft on a 10-day journey to orbit the Moon,

Artemis II will test NASA’s crew capabilities in deep space and gather more information that could ultimately help send astronauts to Mars.

For NASA, Artemis II is part of a broader effort to establish a sustained human presence on the moon and eventually send astronauts to Mars. “I’m just so excited that we’re standing on the precipice of this next generation of human exploration,” Young said.

America's long-awaited return to the moon with the Artemis II launch on Wednesday is just a first step towards transforming Earth's neighbor into a gateway for deep space exploration, a key lawmaker has revealed.

Following Wednesday evening’s launch, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman quipped about the long break in human flights to the Moon since Apollo 17. “After a brief 54-year intermission, NASA is back in the business of sending astronauts to the Moon,” he said at a post-launch news conference.

This afternoon, as part of the Artemis II mission, a 322-foot rocket is set to lift off, sending a crew of Americans and a Canadian on a 10-day journey around the moon and back. No landing this time, but they’ll push farther from Earth than any humans ever have.

NASA now believes there could be hundreds of billions of gallons of water on the moon. According to one theory a collision 4.5 billion years ago between the early Earth and a Mars-sized planet called Theia spun off the Moon and deposited large amounts of water. That is likely have been topped up by water-bearing asteroids and meteors.

NASA’s Artemis II mission marks the first time astronauts are carrying iPhones aboard a crewed spacecraft. The devices will allow the crew to capture personal photos and videos during their 10‑day journey around the Moon,

The moon-bound Artemis II astronauts, enjoying spectacular views of Earth as it recedes behind them, took a break to chat with their families Friday before reviewing plans for closely observing the moon from the unique perspective of the lunar far side Monday.