Artemis II Archives - Page 2 of 2 - TPR: The Public's Radio

A view of Earth from NASA's Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II test flight on Thursday.

NPR

NASA’s Artemis II has left Earth’s orbit, and 4 astronauts now head to the moon

by Nell Greenfieldboyce April 3, 2026April 3, 2026

With the last major firing of its engine, the Artemis II spacecraft is now on a path that will take it around the moon and back.

The Artemis II crew — which includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (left), Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen — is on their way to the moon. Here's what to expect over their roughly 10-day mission.

NPR

In a thunderous launch, Artemis II astronauts leave Earth. Here’s what’s next

by Brendan Byrne April 2, 2026April 2, 2026

NASA’s Artemis II crew has successfully launched on a mission that will take it around the moon and back to Earth. Here’s what to expect over their roughly 10-day journey.

The Artemis II crew includes three NASA astronauts — Reid Wiseman (left), Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen. The four crew members are slated to launch as early as Wednesday, April 1 at 6:24 p.m. Eastern time. If successful, it would mark the first time humans have visited the moon in more than 50 years.

NPR

NASA’s Artemis II astronauts are hours away from moon launch. Watch it here

by Amina Khan April 1, 2026April 1, 2026

NASA’s Artemis II mission aims to send four astronauts around the moon on a roughly 10-day journey that could help pave the way toward a future lunar landing.

Artemis II crew members — mission specialist Christina Koch (left) and commander Reid Wiseman (right) — listen as pilot Victor Glover speaks to the media after arriving at the Kennedy Space Center on March 27, 2026 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The astronauts' planned 10-day mission will take them around the Moon and back to Earth.

NPR

NASA is just days away from historic Artemis II moon launch

by Nell Greenfieldboyce March 30, 2026March 30, 2026

On Wednesday, the crew of NASA’s Artemis II could blast off on a mission around the moon and back. No astronaut has ventured out to the moon since the 1970s.

NASA employees brief the media on Thursday at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. about the delayed Artemis II mission. The news conference focused on revisions and fixes being done to the rocket components.

NPR

NASA targets Artemis II crewed moon mission for April 1 launch

by Brendan Byrne March 12, 2026March 12, 2026

A six-day launch window opens on April 1 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The lunar orbital mission would be the first time humans have returned to the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.

The mobile launcher containing the Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft arrives at the Vehicle Assembly Building after a rollback that lasted over ten hours at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on February 25, 2026. NASA teams detected issues with the helium flow and removed the rocket from the launchpad.

NPR

NASA redirects Artemis moon mission program, postponing a planned astronaut landing

by Brendan Byrne February 27, 2026February 27, 2026

In shaking up its Artemis lunar program, NASA’s new moon plan looks more like the Apollo missions of the 1960s. Instead of landing on the surface on Artemis III, NASA hopes to do so on Artemis IV.

A day after NASA said it was eyeing a potential March 6 launch date for the Artemis II lunar mission, the space agency now says new complications could derail all of the March launch dates. The rocket, seen here at the Kennedy Space Center launch pad on Friday, may need to be rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for additional tests.

NPR

NASA’s Artemis II lunar mission may not launch in March after all

by Russell Lewis February 21, 2026February 21, 2026

NASA says an “interrupted flow” of helium to the rocket system could require a rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building. If it happens, NASA says the launch to the moon would be delayed until April.

NASA' says it's ready to launch four people on a trip around the moon on the Artemis II mission as early as March 6.

NPR

NASA eyes March 6 to launch 4 astronauts to the moon on Artemis II mission

by Nell Greenfieldboyce February 20, 2026February 20, 2026

The four astronauts heading to the moon for the lunar fly-by are the first humans to venture there since 1972. The ten-day mission will travel more than 600,000 miles.

NASA has delayed the launch of its Artemis II lunar fly-by mission by at least a month. Testing of the rocket, shown here on the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida last Sunday, revealed a number of issues. The launch, with four astronauts, would be the first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years.

NPR

NASA delays the launch of Artemis II lunar mission by at least a month

by Brendan Byrne February 3, 2026February 3, 2026

NASA is targeting March for the launch of four astronauts on a ten-day mission to circle the moon and return safely to Earth, traveling farther than any humans have ventured in deep space.