In April 2026, NASA made history with the successful mission Artemis II. For the first time in more than 50 years, astronauts traveled around the Moon and returned safely to Earth.
The mission launched at the beginning of April and lasted about 10 days. Four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—traveled in the Orion spacecraft.
- It is close to the ocean (safe for rocket launches)
- It has very large, powerful launch facilities
- It has been used for Apollo missions and Space Shuttle missions before
A Long Trip Around the Moon
During the mission, the spacecraft traveled more than 1 million kilometers. The astronauts flew around the far side of the Moon, where they could not communicate with Earth for a short time. This was one of the most exciting moments of the mission.
⚡ Incredible Speed
At its fastest, Orion reached a speed of about 39,000 kilometers per hour as it returned to Earth. This made it one of the fastest human spaceflights in history!
Splashdown on Earth
After their journey, the spacecraft returned safely and made a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California. Recovery teams were ready and quickly helped the astronauts out of the spacecraft. The splashdown occurred approximately 550 miles off the coast of San Diego.
The mission was a big success, but there were a few small challenges:
- Communication was lost for a short time behind the Moon (this was expected)
- Engineers watched the heat shield very carefully during re-entry
- Some minor technical checks were needed after landing
However, there were no serious problems, and the astronauts were safe.
Artemis II is an important step toward future missions. NASA plans to send astronauts to walk on the Moon again in the next mission.
This exciting journey shows that humans are ready to explore deep space once more—and maybe one day travel even farther, to Mars!
The Spacecraft: Orion
The astronauts in Artemis II traveled in a spacecraft called Orion. This spacecraft was built by NASA to carry humans far into space, even to the Moon and beyond.
Where do the astronauts sit?
Inside Orion, there is a small space for the astronauts. Four people can sit and work there. They have seats, screens, and controls to fly the spacecraft. They also have food, water, and air to live during the mission.
Strong and Safe
Orion has a very strong heat shield. When the spacecraft returns to Earth, it gets extremely hot—over 2,700°C! The heat shield protects the astronauts and keeps them safe.
Traveling in Space
Orion can travel very far from Earth. In Artemis II, it went around the Moon and back. It can move very fast and stay in space for many days.
Power and Energy
The spacecraft uses large solar panels to get energy from the Sun. These panels open like wings in space and give power to the computers and systems.
Vavilov Crater
We can’t see one side of the Moon from Earth because the Moon is “locked” in a special way as it moves around us.
The Moon does two things at the same time:
1. It spins around (like a basketball spinning)
2. It goes around Earth (like walking in a circle around you)
The Moon takes:
- About 27 days to spin once
- And about 27 days to go around Earth once
Because these times are the same, the same side always faces Earth.