Artemis 2: What to know about first crewed Moon mission in half a century

NASA's Artemis II mission will send four astronauts on a crewed lunar orbit, marking humanity's first crewed Moon mission since 1972 and the first to include a woman among the crew. The mission serves as a critical test run before NASA attempts to land astronauts on the lunar surface in 2028, with the goal of establishing sustained human presence on the Moon. This flight represents a major milestone in NASA's broader Artemis program, which aims to return American astronauts to the Moon after a 56-year gap in crewed lunar exploration. The mission will validate spacecraft systems and procedures in the lunar environment before committing to a full surface landing. Success on Artemis II is essential to the timeline and credibility of NASA's plans to use the Moon as a stepping stone for eventual human missions to Mars.