BEYOND EARTH
Artemis 2 set to launch tonight
Its a GO! Artemis 2 is set to launch tonight from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:24 pm et!
This is the first crew th is manned from the Artemis program.
The mission will carry four astronauts on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth, marking the first time humans have returned to the lunar vicinity in over 50 years.
The crew is expected to travel approximately 4,700 miles (7,600 km) beyond the far side of the Moon, potentially breaking the human distance record from Earth set by Apollo 13.
The mission will conclude with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
The crew consists of four experienced astronauts, each representing a historic milestone for deep-space exploration:
- Reid Wiseman (Commander):NASA; set to be the oldest person to leave low-Earth orbit.
- Victor Glover (Pilot): NASA; will be the first person of color to travel beyond low-Earth orbit.
- Christina Koch (Mission Specialist): NASA; will be the first woman to travel to the Moon's vicinity.
- Jeremy Hansen (Mission Specialist): CSA; the first non-U.S. citizen to travel to the Moon
This is the crew of Artemis 2 taken just before launch on April 1st 2026. Photo courtesy of NASA.