Washington, Sept 24 (HS): NASA has announced plans to launch its first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years as early as February 2026, sending four astronauts on a ten-day journey around the Moon under the Artemis II programme.Originally scheduled for no later than April, the agency is aiming to bring the mission forward, with Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson saying the powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is “pretty much stacked and ready to go.”
The final steps include connecting the Orion crew capsule and completing ground tests.Artemis II: A Pioneering MissionThe crew of Artemis II will include Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Together, they will test spacecraft systems on a flight that paves the way for future Moon landings and a longer-term human presence on the lunar surface.
Lakiesha Hawkins, NASA’s acting deputy associate administrator, called the mission an “important moment in the human exploration of space,” while stressing that “safety is our top priority.”Building on Artemis IThe first Artemis mission in November 2022 saw an uncrewed spacecraft fly around the Moon for 25 days before safely re-entering Earth’s atmosphere.
While the mission was deemed a major success, engineers identified—and have since resolved—issues with the spacecraft’s heatshield during re-entry.If successful, Artemis II will mark humanity’s return to crewed lunar missions since Apollo 17 in 1972, placing NASA at the forefront of a new space era aimed at long-term exploration and potential Mars missions.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
