Their 10-day test flight, which will not land on the moon, is a mission packed with milestones. Left to Right, Artemis II Crew: Mission Specialists Jeremy Hansen; and Christina Hammock Koch; Pilot Victor Glover; and Commander Reid Wiseman arrive at the Shuttle Landing Facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Friday, March 27, 2026. The NASA Artemis II rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard leaves the Vehicle Assembly Building moving slowly to pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Friday, March 20, 2026. The Artemis II astronauts will have their health monitored at every stage, including a study of the effects of increased radiation and microgravity. It was intended to provide a human moon landing at the beginning of the decade, but it is running years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget.

Source: Irish Examiner April 01, 2026 19:37 UTC