NASA's first crewed SLS mission will push Orion, reentry systems, and deep-space operations to their limits ahead of a lunar landing attempt.
If all goes to plan, NASA will launch its Artemis II mission in February 2026. It will be the first time NASA ’s Space Launch System flies a crew to space and the first time humans fly to the moon since the end of the Apollo era in the 1970s.
Artemis II is also set to fly much further beyond the moon than any crewed space mission in history. It will pave the way for future habitation on the moon and for human exploration of our solar system. With only days to go before the launch window opens, here are the key facts to know about Artemis II.Artemis II has a wide window for launchThe Artemis II SLS is being prepared at NASA’s historic Launch Pad 39B. Source: NASA / XNASA has scheduled Feb. 6 as the prime launch date for Artemis II. However, the space agency will only fly the mission when it can ensure the crew’s safety aboard SLS. The space agency has stated that launch windows are open in February, March, and April.An upcoming “wet dress rehearsal”, expected to conclude on Feb. 4, will give a strong indication whether Artemis II is ready to launch by the 6th. During that rehearsal, “teams demonstrate the ability to load more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellants into the rocket, conduct a launch countdown, and practice safely removing propellant from the rocket,” NASA wrote in a post earlier this month.Changes to SLS since Artemis INASA’s Space Launch System first flew to space in November 2022. That mission was an uncrewed flight test conducted to validate SLS and the Orion capsule, which will carry astronauts on Artemis II and III. Artemis I was a success, and NASA has made some important changes to SLS and Orion, based on data collected during that mission.In a recent post, NASA noted that SLS will have an improved navigation system compared to Artemis I. Repositioned antennas on the rocket will also provide better communications, while separation motors to push SLS’s side boosters away have been angled an additional 15 degrees to “increase separation clearance”. NASA engineers also added a pair of strakes to the SLS intertank. The roughly seven-foot-five-inch strakes will smooth higher-than-expected vibrations noticed in the area during Artemis I.SLS will be the most powerful rocket to ever fly humansWhen it flew to the skies in 2022, SLS became the most powerful rocket in history, producing 8.8 million lbs of thrust at liftoff. It was soon surpassed by Starship, which produced a staggering 17 million lbs of thrust when it first took to the skies in April 2023.However, when it launches the Artemis II mission, SLS will be the most powerful rocket to ever fly humans. It will overtake the Saturn V rocket that carried astronauts to the Moon during the Apollo missions. At liftoff, Saturn V generated 7.5 million pounds of thrust. It will be the farthest human spaceflight from EarthThe Artemis II mission is also set to break the record for the most distant human spaceflight in history. At its farthest from Earth, the crewed Orion capsule will fly between 4,000–6,400 miles beyond the far side of the moon. This means it will exceed the previous record set by Apollo 13. The Apollo 13 mission famously had to fly a much farther trajectory than originally planned, due to a technical problem. That mission flew 254 kilometers beyond the moon.The fastest human spaceflight in history Artemis II is expected to be the fastest human spaceflight in history. Specifically, during its reentry into Earth’s atmosphere, it will reach speeds of around 25,000 mph . This will slightly exceed the previous record for a crewed capsule returning to Earth’s atmosphere, set by the Apollo 10 mission. The first crewed flight to the moon since 1972NASA’s Artemis II crew : Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Hammock Koch.NASA’s Artemis II mission will finally send humans back to the moon after a more than 50-year wait. The Artemis II crew will be comprised of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The crew, including the first woman and first person of color to fly to the moon, will conduct a 10-day crewed flight test of SLS and the Orion capsule.The longest crewed flight test in historyWith its Artemis program, NASA aims to far exceed the mission timescales of Apollo. Artemis III, for example, is expected to stay on the moon for roughly a week. Before that, the longest stay was 75 hours, set by Apollo 17.This will also be reflected in the Artemis II mission, which is set to be the longest crewed flight test in history. The Artemis II crew will fly in a mission similar to Apollo 8 in the 1960s. While Apollo 8 lasted just over six days, Artemis II will take ten days to fly around the moon and back.Safety concerns?NASA’s Orion heatshield for Artemis I. Source: NASANASA’s Artemis II Orion heat shield is at the center of an ongoing safety debate in the lead-up to Artemis II. The heat shield suffered unexpected damage during Artemis I. It showed low permeability, causing gas buildup, spalling, and cracking. Chunks flew off during reentry, and the capsule sustained excessive charring. The Artemis II heat shield is even less permeable.While NASA officials and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman have expressed their confidence in the mission’s safety, others disagree. NASA has stated that an altered reentry path, along with Orion’s built-in protection, will ensure safety. NASA has stated that an altered reentry path, along with Orion’s built-in protection, will ensure safety. Dr. Charlie Camarda, a heat shield expert and former NASA astronaut, disagrees. “What they’re talking about doing is crazy,” he said in a recent interview with CNN.Orion could still return to Earth in the event of an engine failureAn artist’s impression of Orion flying around the moon. Source: NASAArtemis II will use a ‘lunar free-return trajectory’. This means that, as it flies around the moon, it will be naturally pulled back towards Earth by the moon’s gravitational pull. This means it will not require large engine burns and can still return to Earth even in the event of an engine failure.What will the astronauts do during flight?During their 10-day flight around the moon, the Artemis II astronauts will test Orion’s life-support and deep-space systems, perform a lunar flyby, and also conduct scientific observations. As the moon is tidally locked to Earth, only a small handful of astronauts have had the privilege of seeing the far side of the moon with their own eyes. The Artemis II crew will make the most of this rare experience. They will dedicate a full day to observing and documenting the moon’s far side, including regions such as parts of Mare Orientale and the South Pole-Aitken Basin.Astronauts will have 4K/8K camerasThe Artemis II mission is set to give us some of the most impressive imagery ever compiled of the moon. Much like the Apollo 8 astronauts, the Artemis II crew will experience an ‘Earthrise’, when they make their way around the far side of the moon.Thankfully, their photography hardware will be up to the task. The Artemis II astronauts will have professional-grade Nikon D5 DSLRs, capable of capturing 4K video.It will pave the way for Artemis IIIAn artist’s impression of Starship HLS on the lunar surface. Source: SpaceXIf all goes according to plan with Artemis II, NASA will then look ahead to the Artemis III lunar landing mission. That mission will be the first time humans land on the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.Some factors are still uncertain. While Artemis III is tentatively planned for 2027, delays to SpaceX’s Starship program could push the mission back further. In 2021, NASA awarded SpaceX a $2.9 billion contract to build the lander that will take humans back to the lunar surface. As the Starship Human Landing System might not be ready in time for next year, NASA is considering alternatives. All eyes will be on Blue Origin’s MK1 lander, which is set to perform a flight test to the lunar surface later this year.It’s a stepping stone to MarsArtemis II is the second in a series of missions that NASA plans to use a springboard for the eventual human exploration of Mars and the farther reaches of our solar system. By establishing and maintaining a permanent presence on the moon, it aims to acquire the infrastructure and knowledge required to eventually build habitats on the Red Planet.
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