WASHINGTON - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) successfully launched the Artemis II mission from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:35 p.m. ET on 1 April 2026, sending four astronauts on a 10-day crewed mission around the Moon.
The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, powered by a core stage built by The Boeing Co. in Arlington, Va., lifted off and completed its primary ascent operations. About eight and a half minutes into flight, the core stage shut down its engines and separated as planned, enabling the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, to continue on its trajectory. The crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, as well as Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
During ascent, the core stage executed several critical operations, including fueling the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen tanks, actuating the hydraulic system, igniting the engines, performing thrust vector control, depleting propellant, and executing separation and disposal maneuvers.
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International assistance
The Orion spacecraft is supported by the European Service Module (ESM), built by Airbus in Bremen, Germany, on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA). The ESM provides propulsion, electrical power, thermal control, and life-support resources, including oxygen and water, for the crew during the mission.
The service module carries about 90 kilograms of oxygen and 240 kilograms of drinking water, and uses four solar arrays to generate about 11.2 kilowatts of electrical power. Its propulsion system includes one main engine, eight auxiliary engines, and 24 reaction control thrusters used for maneuvering and attitude control.
Communicating from space
Artemis II also demonstrated new communications and operations capabilities. The Orion spacecraft is equipped with the Orion Optical Communications System, a laser-based communications payload that transmits data back to Earth at up to 260 megabits per second. The higher bandwidth enables transmission of high-resolution imagery and video from lunar distances.
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The crew conducted manual piloting operations during the mission, using hand controllers to command the spacecraft's reaction control thrusters during proximity operations in Earth orbit. The demonstration evaluated handling characteristics and crew interfaces prior to lunar flight operations.
The mission trajectory carried the crew to distances ranging from about 6,400 to 9,000 kilometers above the lunar surface, depending on launch conditions. During the flight, the spacecraft traveled farther from Earth than any human mission since Apollo 13.
Germany and other international partners contributed additional technologies, including M-42 EXT radiation detectors from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to measure space radiation between Earth and the Moon, and the TACHELES CubeSat, a German small satellite designed to study radiation effects and spacecraft technologies in lunar orbit.
"Following the successful flight of the MARE radiation experiment on Artemis I, I am delighted that we can now further expand the unique dataset on space radiation between Earth and the Moon with this new mission," said Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla, chair of the DLR Executive Board. "With further developed dosimeters - the M-42 EXT sensor - we will obtain even more detailed measurement data."
The Artemis II mission represents the first crewed test flight of NASA's Orion spacecraft beyond low-Earth orbit and is intended to validate life-support systems, deep-space communications, and crew operations in preparation for future lunar landing missions.
NASA officials say data gathered during Artemis II will inform Artemis III and subsequent missions aimed at establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon and enabling future exploration of Mars.
