Artemis II: NASA's first crewed mission to the moon since 1972

The Artemis II rocket producing a flame of smoke as it takes off.
NASA's Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida on April 1, 2026
(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images)
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Photo of a stream of orange fire coming from the Artemis I rocket as it launched into space at night
Artemis II timeline: 12 key steps that will take NASA astronauts to the moon and back

NASA is gearing up to send astronauts back to the lunar environment for the first time in nearly 55 years. We've broken the 10-day mission into 12 key steps, from the historic liftoff to a record-breaking splashdown.

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