NASA’s Artemis II set to launch Wednesday: What to know

NASA is launching its Artemis II mission Wednesday, a crewed test flight designed to advance the U.S. goal of returning astronauts to the lunar surface. The mission represents a critical step in NASA's broader Artemis program, which aims to establish sustainable human presence on the moon and eventually support Mars exploration. Success on Artemis II would validate the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft ahead of a planned lunar landing mission. The flight will test life support systems, navigation, and other critical technologies in the environment astronauts will encounter during future moon missions. Artemis II is one of the most significant spaceflight tests NASA has conducted in decades.