NASA’s Artemis II mission is making history as astronauts travel to the far side of the Moon — a region that never faces Earth. Within hours, the crew aboard the Orion spacecraft will witness views of the lunar surface that no one on Earth can see.
The 10-day mission launched on April 1 and carries four astronauts: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Their journey will orbit the Moon and collect crucial data about Orion’s life-support systems and deep-space operations.
This mission is a critical step toward future lunar exploration. NASA plans to send astronauts back to the Moon with Artemis III in 2027, using lunar landers developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin. The long-term goal is even bigger — building a base near the Moon’s south pole.
NASA officials also say that searching for answers about alien life is part of every exploration mission. With trillions of galaxies in the universe, scientists believe the chances that humanity is not alone may be higher than we think.
Watch as Artemis II pushes human exploration deeper into space than ever before.
