On April 1, 2026, NASA launched the Artemis II mission, marking humanity’s first crewed return to go around the moon in over half a century. The 10-day flight, which included a flyby around the Moon before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. According to rdnews.com, the mission was led by a 4 person crew: Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen.
According to Planetary.org, in the mission they will not be landing on the moon. They will just be doing a lunar observation as a test for a later mission. During their observation, “they will be looking at the darkness of the moon, the stars beyond it, and some visible planets.” Said by Kate Howells, a Public Education Specialist, on Planetary.org.
Also according to Planetary.org, the Artemis II mission is a test for putting people back onto the moon within the decade. According to NASA.gov, the Artemis II mission is just a part of the Artemis program. The program has five missions that are scheduled. The first one was launched in 2022, the second one in 2026, the third will be in 2027, the fourth and fifth one are both scheduled for 2028. The main goal of the program is to land humans on the moon by 2028. According to NASA, some of the things that they are trying to gain is, scientific discovery, economic benefits, like creating more jobs in the space industry, and to inspire a new generation of explorers.
