The Artemis II moon mission will see 4 astronauts go on a 685,000-mile, 10-day journey across the moon. Here’s what the timeline seems to be like:
Day 1 is launch day. The astronauts carry off aboard NASA’s latest spacecraft, Orion, which can sit atop the Area Launch System rocket. The spacecraft will attain preliminary orbit after which high-Earth orbit to make a push towards the moon.
Days 2 by 4 are transit days, with the journey to the moon taking three days. Over the course of the journey, the crew will proceed to guage Orion’s methods and apply emergency procedures, along with different actions.
Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen cease for a bunch picture throughout a go to to NASA’s Artemis II SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, March 30, 2026, at Launch Advanced 39B of NASA’s Kennedy Area Middle in Fla.
Invoice Ingalls/NASA/AFP through Getty Photos
On day 5, Orion will enter the lunar sphere of affect, which means the moon is the primary gravitational pull. On day 6, the crew will come its closest to the moon whereas touring the farthest from Earth, in accordance NASA.
Days 7 by 10 will see the astronauts make their means again to Earth earlier than re-entering Earth’s ambiance at excessive velocity, as much as 25,000 miles per hour.
The Orion spacecraft will deploy a collection of parachutes as soon as by the warmth of re-entry to decelerate and it’ll splash down within the Pacific Ocean The U.S. Navy will get well the capsule.
-ABC Information’ Mary Kekatos
