Launched on April 1, 2026, the four Artemis II astronauts are currently in high Earth orbit, completing critical checkouts of the Orion spacecraft. With a successful launch from Kennedy Space Centre, the crew, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, will be conducting proximity operations while performing manual piloting test runs.
After a 23.5-hour checkout period in High Earth Orbit, Orion will conduct a Trans-lunar Injection burn, shooting the crew towards the moon (roughly 4 days from the launch time). This mission is historic because it is NASA‘s first crewed mission to deep space in nearly 50 years; it will help prepare for future missions to land on the Moon.
Artemis 2 Moon mission: Where are the NASA astronauts currently
After the launch went well on April 1st, 2026, the astronauts are currently performing checkout of the Orion spacecraft while in High Earth Orbit (HEO).
During these first 24 hours of being in space, the astronauts are testing the life support systems and the auxiliary thrusters required for proximity operations. This includes a manual piloting demonstration where the crew manoeuvres Orion near the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) to verify handling qualities.This first phase is crucial for ensuring that the spacecraft is working properly and that the astronauts will be safe during their trip before they can test the engines again to complete their move into a Trans-Lunar Injection burn for a deep space journey.
4-day window to enter the moon
Once they complete the first 24 hours in orbit and confirm all systems are operational and functioning, the Orion will execute the Trans-Lunar Injection (TLI) burn using the Orion Service Module engine. This manoeuvre provides the ‘outbound push’ necessary to escape Earth’s gravity and begin the four-day transit to the Moon. The time period between here and arriving at the Moon is 4 days. During that time, the astronauts will continue to monitor how well Orion is performing and continue with their pre-planned time-controlled scientific observations as they get closer to the lunar environment.
The lunar flyby and deep space exploration
The spacecraft, Orion, will fly by the moon at a minimum altitude from its surface of approximately 4,600 miles (7,400 kilometres). This has been planned using a ‘free-return’ trajectory whereby the spacecraft will be propelled back to Earth by the Moon’s gravitational field without needing to perform a high-power, high-velocity rocket engine burn to return it. This mission is very important since it marks the first time in over half a century that humans have travelled this far away from the planet and will provide essential data for the Artemis III mission, which aims to land the first woman and the first person of colour on the lunar surface.
