The Artemis II astronauts, after saying goodbye to family and friends, were strapped into their seats aboard the Orion spacecraft by early afternoon, hours before the launch window opened at 6:24 p.m. Eastern time. As the astronauts sat, NASA continued with checks to ensure the safety of the crew before liftoff.

The Artemis II mission is a 10-day test flight around the moon in the Orion crew capsule. As of April 2, the astronauts were orbiting Earth at a height 184 times higher than the International Space Station. The crew is expected to travel farther from Earth than any humans ever have, surpassing the Apollo 13 record.

Artemis II will send astronauts around the moon in February-April 2026, marking NASA’s first crewed lunar mission in 50+ years and paving the way for future crewed lunar landings. Are you ready for NASA’s most significant human spaceflight in a generation?

NASA's Artemis II crew has successfully launched on a mission that will take it around the moon and back to Earth. A key maneuver Thursday night determines whether they embark on their lunar visit.

It’s fairly safe to say Ridley Scott loves a delayed follow-up to his own original movies. First there was Bladerunner 2049 (great), then Prometheus (so good, if divisive). Now, we're getting a sequel to Gladiator, the acclaimed director’s 2000s classic.

In early April 2026, the Artemis II mission captivated me and millions of people watching from across the world. The crew’s courage, skill and infectious wonder served as tangible proof of human persistence and technological achievement,

National confidence, unfortunately, is in short supply these days. In this season of springtime renewal, Americans would do well to look up — literally. Artemis II, NASA’s first meaningful manned space mission in over a half-century,

Brief: Artemis II's flyby and splashdown, a Blue Origin anomaly and SpaceX's NG-24 mission highlight 321 Launch, FLORIDA TODAY's weekly space newsletter.