Shutterstock.com (moon); NASA (Orion)

Moon Mission

The Artemis II mission could send astronauts deeper into space than ever before.

January 19, 2026

By Talia Cowen and Rebecca Zissou

As You Read, Think About: How will the Artemis II crew help prepare for Artemis III?

NASA

Orion

Christina Koch is getting ready to blast off. She and three other astronauts will soon travel more than 230,000 miles from Earth. They’ll zip around the moon and back at speeds of up to 25,000 miles per hour.

The 10-day mission is called Artemis II. It could happen as soon as February. It’s a big step toward the goal of landing humans on the moon for the first time since 1972. But NASA isn’t ready to send people to the lunar surface just yet. First the U.S. space agency has to make sure astronauts can get there and back safely.

That’s where the Artemis II crew comes in. They will test that the space capsule, called Orion (above), works properly. They are planning to go beyond the far side of the moon—which we can’t see from Earth.

“We could see parts of the moon that never have had human eyes lay upon them before,” Koch says.

Christina Koch is getting ready to blast off. She and three other astronauts will soon travel more than 230,000 miles from Earth. They’ll zip around the moon and back. They’ll reach speeds of up to 25,000 miles per hour.

Their 10-day mission is called Artemis II. It could happen as soon as February. It’s a big step toward NASA’s goal of landing humans on the moon again. That hasn’t happened since 1972. But NASA isn’t ready to send people to the lunar surface just yet. First the U.S. space agency has to make sure astronauts can get there and back safely.

That’s where the Artemis II crew comes in. They will test that the space capsule, called Orion (above), works properly. They will go beyond the far side of the moon. That’s the side we can’t see from Earth.

“We could see parts of the moon that never have had human eyes lay upon them before,” Koch says.

What You Need to Know About the Moon

Watch a video tour of Earth’s closest neighbor.

More to Explore

From 1969 to 1972, 12 American men walked on the moon. They were part of NASA’s Apollo program. The astronauts collected rock and soil samples that scientists still study today. Since then, only small robots called rovers have explored the lunar surface.

The Artemis program was created to send astronauts back to the moon. It’s part of a larger plan to one day send humans farther into space. Scientists from the U.S. and other countries are working on a space station called Gateway. The hope is for it to orbit the moon. The station could eventually be a stopover for astronauts on longer space flights—possibly to Mars.

The first Artemis mission launched in November 2022. Over 26 days, the Orion capsule flew around the moon and back. No one was on board. That mission proved that the spacecraft could survive the journey. Now it’s time for a human test flight.

A rocket carrying Orion, with the Artemis II crew inside, will take off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. About eight minutes later, Orion will separate from the main rocket and head toward the moon.

During the historic trip, the astronauts will make sure the spacecraft’s controls and equipment work properly. The crew will also perform experiments to help NASA prepare for longer moon missions. And they will be in constant communication with NASA so they can report any problems.

From 1969 to 1972, 12 American men walked on the moon. They were part of NASA’s Apollo program. The astronauts gathered rock and soil samples. Scientists still study the samples today. Since then, only small robots called rovers have explored the moon’s surface.

The Artemis program was created to send astronauts back to the moon. It’s part of a larger plan to one day send humans farther into space. Scientists from the U.S. and other countries are working on a space station. It’s called Gateway. They hope it will orbit the moon. The station could become a stopping place for astronauts on longer missions—possibly to Mars.

The first Artemis mission launched in November 2022. Over 26 days, Orion flew around the moon and back. No one was on board. That mission proved that the spacecraft could survive the journey. Now it’s time for a human test flight.

A rocket carrying Orion, with the Artemis II crew inside, will take off from Kennedy Space Center. That’s in Florida. About eight minutes later, Orion will separate from the main rocket. It will head toward the moon.

During the historic trip, the astronauts will make sure the spacecraft’s equipment works well. They will perform experiments to help NASA prepare for longer moon missions. And they will constantly communicate with NASA to report any issues.

Back to the Moon

The Artemis II crew has been training since June 2023 (see “Practice Makes Perfect”). They’ve simulated every part of their trip. NASA will use what the crew learns during this mission to get ready for the next one, Artemis III. If all goes well, a different group of astronauts could land on the moon in 2027.

Koch will be the first woman to go on a moon mission. She looks forward to what’s next.

“We like to think that our true mission isn’t fulfilled until we see someone walking on the moon,” says Koch. “That’s when we know we did our job.”

The Artemis II crew has been training since June 2023 (see “Practice Makes Perfect”). They have simulated every part of their trip. NASA will use what the crew learns during this mission to get ready for the next one, Artemis III. If all goes well with Artemis II, astronauts could land on the moon in 2027.

Koch will be the first woman on a moon mission. She looks forward to what’s next.

“We like to think that our true mission isn’t fulfilled until we see someone walking on the moon,” says Koch. “That’s when we know we did our job.”

Practice Makes Perfect

The Artemis II crew has spent nearly three years training, covering even the smallest details.

NASA/Mark Sowa

The astronauts spent a lot of time getting used to the tight space in the Orion capsule.

Robert Markowitz NASA-JSC

The crew visited Iceland. Its rocky landscape is similar to that of the moon.

NASA/Kenny Allen

After circling the moon, Orion will splash down in the Pacific Ocean. The crew practiced being picked up by the U.S. Navy.

1. According to the article, what did NASA accomplish with the Apollo program?

2. What is the overall goal of the Artemis program?

3. Based on the article and the sidebar, “Practice Makes Perfect,” how have astronauts prepared for the Artemis II mission?

1. According to the article, what did NASA accomplish with the Apollo program?

2. What is the overall goal of the Artemis program?

3. Based on the article and the sidebar, “Practice Makes Perfect,” how have astronauts prepared for the Artemis II mission?

Misión a la Luna

La misión Artemis II podría enviar a los astronautas más lejos que nunca en el espacio.

por Talia Cowen y Rebecca Zissou

Al leer, piensa en: ¿Cómo ayudará la tripulación de Artemis II a preparar Artemis III?

NASA

Orión

Christina Koch se prepara para el despegue. Ella y otros tres astronautas pronto viajarán a más de 230,000 millas de la Tierra. Orbitarán la Luna y regresarán a una velocidad de hasta 25,000 millas por hora.

La misión, de 10 días, se llama Artemis II. Podría llevarse a cabo ya en febrero. Es un gran paso hacia la meta de llevar humanos a la Luna por primera vez desde 1972. Pero la NASA aún no está lista para enviar personas a la superficie lunar. Primero, la agencia espacial estadounidense tiene que asegurarse de que los astronautas puedan llegar y regresar sin peligro.

Ahí es donde entra en juego la tripulación de Artemis II. Comprobarán que la cápsula espacial, llamada Orión (arriba), funciona correctamente. Tienen previsto ir más allá de la cara oculta de la Luna, que no podemos ver desde la Tierra.

“Podríamos ver partes de la Luna que jamás han sido vistas por el ojo humano”, dijo Koch.

Lo que necesitas saber sobre la Luna

Haz un recorrido virtual por la vecina más cercana a la Tierra.

Más espacio para explorar

Entre 1969 y 1972, 12 estadounidenses pisaron la Luna. Formaban parte del programa Apolo de la NASA. Los astronautas recogieron muestras de rocas y tierra que los científicos siguen estudiando hoy en día. Desde entonces, solo pequeños robots, llamados rovers, han explorado la superficie lunar.

El programa Artemis se creó para enviar astronautas de regreso a la Luna. Forma parte de un plan más amplio para enviar algún día a los seres humanos a lugares más lejanos del espacio. Científicos de EE. UU. y otros países trabajan en una estación espacial llamada Gateway. Se espera que orbite alrededor de la Luna. La estación se convertiría, con el tiempo, en una parada para los astronautas en vuelos espaciales más largos, posiblemente a Marte.

La primera misión de Artemis se lanzó en noviembre de 2022. La cápsula, Orión, voló alrededor de la Luna y regresó en 26 días. No había nadie a bordo. Esa misión demostró que la nave espacial podía sobrevivir al viaje. Ahora es el momento de que los humanos la pongan a prueba.

Un cohete que transportará a Orión, con la tripulación de Artemis II dentro, despegará del Centro Espacial Kennedy en Florida. Unos ocho minutos más tarde, Orión se separará del cohete principal e irá hacia la Luna.

Durante este histórico viaje, los astronautas se asegurarán de que los controles y el equipo de la nave espacial funcionan bien. La tripulación también hará experimentos para ayudar a la NASA a prepararse para misiones a la Luna más largas. Además, estarán en constante comunicación con la NASA para poder informar cualquier problema.

El regreso a la Luna

La tripulación de Artemis II viene entrenándose desde junio de 2023 (mira La práctica hace al maestro). Ha simulado cada parte del viaje. La NASA aplicará lo que la tripulación aprenda en esta misión para prepararse para la siguiente: Artemis III. Si todo sale bien, otro grupo de astronautas se posará en la Luna en 2027.

Koch será la primera mujer en ir a una misión a la Luna. Está deseando que llegue el momento.

“Nos gusta pensar que nuestra verdadera misión no se habrá cumplido hasta que veamos a alguien caminar sobre la Luna —dice Koch—. Entonces sabremos que hemos hecho nuestro trabajo”.