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Artemis II: Humans Return to Deep Space After 54 Years

On 1 April 2026, NASA launched the Artemis II mission — the first crewed flight beyond Earth's low orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. Four astronauts flew around the Moon, including the first woman and first non-American to leave Earth's orbit.

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THE MISSION

On the first of April 2026, NASA launched the Artemis II mission from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, aboard the Space Launch System rocket. For the first time since Apollo 17 in December 1972, human beings travelled beyond low Earth orbit. Four astronauts aboard the Orion capsule completed a free-return trajectory around the Moon, passing over its far side on April 6th before returning safely to Earth.

A HISTORIC CREW

The crew of Artemis II made history on multiple fronts. Commander Reid Wiseman led a mission that included Victor Glover, the first person of colour to leave Earth's orbit; Christina Koch, the first woman to do so; and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, the first non-American to venture beyond low Earth orbit. Their mission lasted approximately ten days and generated enormous public interest around the world.

THE ROAD TO THE MOON

Artemis II is the second step in NASA's Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972. Artemis III, the mission that will actually land astronauts on the Moon — focusing on the lunar south pole, where scientists have detected evidence of water ice — is planned for the coming years. The programme involves a new generation of spacesuits, lunar vehicles and an orbiting platform called the Gateway.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The timing of Artemis II is not coincidental. China has announced its own ambitions to land humans on the Moon before 2030, and the renewed space race between the United States and China is injecting urgency into NASA's plans. After decades in which space exploration seemed to have lost its grip on the public imagination, the return of human beings to deep space has reignited genuine excitement about what comes next.

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