ARTEMIS II

We Are Going For Humanity

Artemis II CREW

MEET THE CREW

Four astronauts have been selected for NASA’s Artemis II mission: Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency. Artemis II will be NASA’s first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft around the Moon to verify today’s capabilities for humans to explore deep space and pave the way for long-term exploration and science on the lunar surface.

The crew of four astronauts will lift off on the approximately 10-day mission from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, blazing beyond Earth’s grasp atop the agency’s mega Moon rocket. Over the course of about two days, they will check out Orion’s systems and perform a targeting demonstration test relatively close to Earth before then beginning the trek toward the Moon.

ORION SPACECRAFT

The Orion spacecraft is built by NASA and prime contractor Lockheed Martin. It is currently the only spacecraft capable of crewed deep space flight and highspeed return to Earth from the vicinity of the Moon.

NASA’s Artemis program will carry astronauts from Earth to the lunar vicinity and return them back home. Orion is specifically designed to carry astronauts on deep space missions farther than ever before. It will provide protection from solar radiation and high-speed entry into Earth’s atmosphere, as well as advanced and reliable technologies for communication and life support. Orion’s missions will span multiple phases, as part of NASA’s framework to build a flexible, reusable, and long-duration infrastructure that will last multiple decades and support missions of increasing complexity.

The Moon is the proving ground for sending astronauts to Mars. It gives us opportunities to test new tools, instruments, and equipment to expand humanity into our solar system. Mars remains the horizon goal. NASA expects to take advantage of the unique exploration capabilities of both SLS and Orion and emerging commercial capabilities to build and support the Gateway.

Artemis II Flight Path

Flight Path