HUMANITY RETURNS TO THE MOON'S DOORSTEP — FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 53 YEARS

NASA's Artemis II mission launched four astronauts on a historic flyby of the Moon, marking a new chapter in deep-space exploration and setting the stage for humanity's return to the lunar surface.

By Staff Reporter | April 6, 2026

On April 1, 2026, the ground shook at Kennedy Space Center in Florida as NASA's Space Launch System — the most powerful rocket ever to carry a human crew — roared off Launch Pad 39B and tore through the blue afternoon sky. Aboard the Orion spacecraft, four astronauts began a journey that no human being had attempted since December 1972. They were going to the Moon.

Not to land, not yet — but to fly past it, study it, and prove that the machinery of deep-space exploration still works with people inside. On April 6, that flyby is happening right now. Artemis II's crew is conducting the closest lunar approach of the mission, and they are making history.

A CREW OF FIRSTS

This is no ordinary crew. Each of the four astronauts carries a milestone in their seat.

• Reid Wiseman (Commander) — The oldest person to travel to the Moon's vicinity.
• Victor Glover (Pilot) — The first person of color to travel around the Moon.
• Christina Koch (Mission Specialist) — The first woman to journey to the lunar neighborhood.
• Jeremy Hansen, CSA (Mission Specialist) — The first non-American to travel around the Moon.

Together, they represent a generation of explorers unlike any that came before.

WHAT IS HAPPENING TODAY

The Orion spacecraft crossed into the Moon's sphere of gravitational influence on April 5, meaning the Moon — not the Earth — now dominates the forces acting on the capsule. Today, the crew is making their closest pass, flying within 4,070 miles of the lunar surface.

From that unique vantage point, the astronauts are photographing and describing roughly 35 geological features in real time, relaying observations live to scientists at Mission Control in Houston. Some of these sites are candidates for future uncrewed payload landings. The crew will also catch a rare glimpse of the lunar south pole — where humanity hopes to touch down as early as 2028.

During the flyby, Orion will pass over the old footprints of Apollo 12 and Apollo 14 — a quiet echo across five decades of human ambition.

"From up here, you also look like one thing. Homo sapiens is all of us, no matter where you're from or what you look like." — Victor Glover, speaking from aboard Orion

THIS IS NOT A LANDING — BUT A LANDING IS COMING

Artemis II is a test flight. Its goal is to prove that Orion's life-support systems, navigation, and communications all function reliably when real astronauts are inside. Once the flyby is complete, the Moon's gravity will slingshot Orion back toward Earth, where it is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean.

The actual crewed landing — Artemis IV — is now targeted for 2028. When that mission flies, two astronauts will ride a commercial lunar lander to the surface, becoming the first humans to walk on the Moon since Gene Cernan took his last steps in December 1972.

Artemis II is the bridge between that dream and today's reality. And today, floating a few thousand miles above the ancient craters, four human beings are proving it is within reach.

"Artemis II is the start of something bigger than any one mission. It marks our return to the Moon — not just to visit, but to eventually stay." — Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator