The Artemis II mission is making history! For the first time in over 50 years, humans have traveled to the Moon. While they aren’t walking on the surface yet, these four explorers are testing everything we need to live and work in deep space.
📅 The 10-Day Mission Calendar
NASA missions are planned down to the minute. Here is the daily “Flight Plan” for the Artemis II crew:
| Day | Date (2026) | The Big Mission Goal |
| Day 1 | April 1 | Blast Off! The SLS rocket launches from Florida. |
| Day 2 | April 2 | Check the Ship: Testing life support and “practice” flying around Earth. |
| Day 3 | April 3 | Heading Out: A big engine burn sends Orion toward the Moon. |
| Day 4 | April 4 | Deep Space Housekeeping: Testing the “space potty” and exercise gear. |
| Day 5 | April 5 | Moon’s Pull: Orion enters the Moon’s gravity. Astronauts suit up for drills. |
| Day 6 | April 6 | The Big Loop: Closest approach (4,000 miles) and a Far Side flyby! |
| Day 7 | April 7 | Goodbye Moon: Calling the Space Station and starting the trip home. |
| Day 8 | April 8 | Today: Building radiation shelters and practicing manual steering. |
| Day 9 | April 9 | Packing Up: Final medical checks and checking the landing parachutes. |
| Day 10 | April 10 | Splashdown! Re-entering the atmosphere and landing in the ocean. |
What Happened at the Moon? (Day 6 Recap)
On April 6, the crew saw things no human has seen in person since 1972!
- Distance Record: They traveled 252,756 miles away from Earth—breaking the record set by Apollo 13!
- The Far Side: They flew behind the Moon, where they lost contact with Earth for 40 minutes. While there, they took HD photos of craters like Hertzsprung Basin.
Solar Eclipse: They even saw a rare solar eclipse from space, watching the Sun hide behind the Moon’s edge!
🛠️ Working in the “Orion” Spacecraft
The Orion capsule is much more advanced than the old Apollo ships. It has touchscreens, high-speed Wi-Fi, and enough room for four people to stretch out.
Space Fact: To keep their bones strong, the crew uses a “Flywheel” machine. Without gravity, your body thinks it doesn’t need muscles anymore, so you have to trick it by working out!
📸 See the Mission in Action!
You can follow the mission through NASA’s official eyes:
The new photo of the far hemisphere of the moon, with Earth in the background. Photograph: NASA
- Artemis II Launch Highlights: Watch the most powerful rocket in the world take off.
- Earthrise from Orion: See the beautiful blue marble of Earth rising over the Moon’s horizon.
- Official NASA Image Gallery: View the high-res photos the crew sent back of the lunar surface.
🌊 What’s Next? (The Return)
Right now, the crew is “falling” back toward Earth. On Friday, April 10, they will hit the atmosphere at 25,000 miles per hour! The bottom of the ship will get as hot as 2,760°C (5,000°F). Don’t worry, though—the heat shield is built to handle it!
Once they slow down, three massive parachutes will open, and they will bob in the Pacific Ocean until a Navy ship picks them up. Mission accomplished!
