The four Artemis astronauts have entered NASA's Orion capsule and are in place for humanity’s first trip to the moon in 53 years.

Artemis II will be the first crewed mission to the moon in more than years. The mission is expected to not only test the technological capabilities to send the Orion spacecraft to deep space and back,

NASA launched its historic Artemis 2 moon mission on April 1, 2026.

Live coverage of NASA’s Artemis II launch with liftoff targeting 6:24 p.m. The mission will send four astronauts on a 10-day, lunar fly by, marking the first humans to return to deep space since 1972.

The spacecraft that will carry astronauts to lunar realms for the first time in more than half a century now has a name. The four astronauts of NASA's Artemis 2 mission, who could launch on their trip around the moon as early as Feb. 5, announced today (Sept.

The first class of NASA astronauts, known as the Mercury 7, was chosen in 1959. The most recently named classes that came before the Platypi (2025) and Flies (2021) have been the Turtles (2017), The 8-Balls (2013), The Chumps (2009), the Peacocks (2004), the Bugs (2000), the Penguins (1998) and the Sardines (1998).