NASA’s Artemis program marks the United States’ return to human lunar exploration for the first time since Apollo. After the successful uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022, NASA is preparing Artemis II, the first crewed flight, targeted for 2026. The program’s major milestone will come with Artemis III, which plans to land astronauts near the Moon’s South Pole later in the decade. Artemis is designed to enable long-term lunar presence and serve as a stepping stone to Mars.
NASA’s Artemis program is moving step by step back to the Moon: Artemis I succeeded in 2022, Artemis II aims for a 2026 crewed lunar flyby, and Artemis III targets a South Pole landing no earlier than 2028. #NASA #ArtemisProgram #Space #Moon pic.twitter.com/dwJXRPAbQF
— Matthew Brady (@mattbrady775) February 2, 2026
- NASA is returning humans to the Moon through its Artemis program, a multi-mission effort focused on sustained lunar exploration.
- Artemis I (2022) successfully completed an uncrewed Moon mission, testing the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS).
- Artemis II will be the first crewed Artemis mission, sending four astronauts on a ~10-day lunar flyby.
- The Artemis II launch is targeted for no earlier than February 8, 2026, with windows extending into April.
- Artemis III is planned as the first crewed Moon landing since 1972, targeting no earlier than 2028.
- Artemis III will use SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System and focus on the lunar South Pole.
- The program includes international partners and supports long-term goals like the Lunar Gateway and future Mars missions.
