Artemis 2
ARTEMIS II
THE FIRST CREWED LUNAR FLYBY
Beyond the Moon
Artemis II will send four astronauts around the Moon, testing the Orion spacecraft and the SLS rocket for future landings.
Planned flight time.
Far side of the Moon.
Lunar Sync
Mission Mapping. Monitoring the Cislunar Readiness Buffer to track the Artemis II trajectory interface.
- 👨🚀 Crew: 4 Astronaut Bio-Sync.
- 🛰️ Vehicle: Orion / SLS Heavy Buffer.
- 🔄 Path: Free-Return Trajectory Protocol.
Crew Sync
Human Mapping. Monitoring the Bio-Sync Buffer to track the human interface of the Artemis II mission.
- 🇺🇸 NASA: Wiseman, Glover, Koch.
- 🇨🇦 CSA: Jeremy Hansen Sync.
- 🛡️ Legacy: First Deep-Space Crew since 1972.
Path Sync
Trajectory Mapping. Monitoring the Free-Return Buffer to track the gravitational interface of the lunar swing.
- 🔄 Recoil: Natural Gravity Pivot Sync.
- 🛰️ Swing: 10,300 km Far Side Buffer.
- 🛡️ Safety: Passive Return Protocol.
Heavy Sync
Vehicle Mapping. Monitoring the Thrust-to-Mass Buffer to track the SLS and Orion flight interface.
- 🔥 Thrust: 8.8 Million Lbs Sync.
- 🛡️ Shield: 2,800°C Thermal Buffer.
- 🛰️ Module: Long-Duration Life Protocol.
The Mission Crew
Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen: The pioneers of the Artemis generation.
Launch Walkout
Astrononats departing for the launch pad in the Orion Crew Survival System suits.
Operational Readiness
Final system checks and crew briefings before orbital insertion.
The Heavy Lifter
The SLS rocket standing at Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center.
Ascent Profile
Night-view of the launch infrastructure preparing for the 10-day mission.
Mission Vision
A legacy mission: Preparing the path for the first woman and first person of color on the Moon.
Sources
MISSION PATHWAY
Instead of orbiting the Moon, Artemis II will use a **Hybrid Free-Return Trajectory**. Earth's gravity will naturally pull the spacecraft back home after it swings around the lunar far side.
MISSION MAPTHE CREW
The mission features a historic crew: **Reid Wiseman**, **Victor Glover** (first Black astronaut on a lunar mission), **Christina Koch** (first woman), and **Jeremy Hansen** (first Canadian).
CREW PROFILESSLS POWER
Launching on the **Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1**, the rocket provides **8.8 million pounds of thrust** to propel Orion out of Earth's deep gravity well.
ROCKET SPECSThe Artemis Program Logo
The Artemis logo is a visual representation of NASA's mission to return humans to the Moon and eventually reach Mars. The design features a bold, stylized "A" that symbolizes an arrowhead from Artemis' quiver, representing strength and focus. The blue crescent represents the Earth, showing where we come from, while the grey arc symbolizes the Moon—our immediate destination. The trajectory pointing upward through the "A" signifies the path to Mars, highlighting that the Moon is a stepping stone to the Red Planet. The color palette of "Artemis Blue," "Horizon Tan," and "Lunar Silver" pays homage to the history of the Apollo missions while looking forward to a new era of space exploration.