Artemis II, NASA's boldest mission in generations, launches crew to the Moon - Ars Technica

This page reports on NASA's Artemis II mission launch. On April 2, 2026, three Americans and one Canadian astronaut launched from Kennedy Space Center aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the most powerful rocket ever flown by humans, beginning a nine-day voyage around the Moon. Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen comprised the crew. The SLS generated 8.8 million pounds of thrust, surpassing the Saturn V rocket used in Apollo missions. NASA has invested nearly $100 billion in the Artemis program over 20 years and competes with China to return humans to the lunar surface. This crewless landing mission marks a historic moment since humans last left the Moon in 1972.