The Artemis II mission will send four astronauts around the Moon and back without landing, serving as a critical test flight before the planned Artemis III lunar surface mission. The crew will spend approximately 10 days in space, flying farther from Earth than any humans since the Apollo era.

The mission has faced numerous delays since the uncrewed Artemis I test flight in 2022, with heat shield concerns and rocket modifications pushing the timeline repeatedly. NASA engineers have now resolved the outstanding technical issues and given the green light for an April launch window.

The four-person crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. If successful, Glover will become the first Black astronaut to fly beyond low Earth orbit.