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Artemis II astronauts reach orbit on historic mission to the moon and back
By Florida Public Radio Emergency Network
April 1, 2026 at 1:28 PM EDT
Four astronauts embarked on a high-stakes flight around the moon Wednesday, humanity's first lunar voyage in more than half a century and the thrilling leadoff in NASA's push toward a landing in two years.
NASA's launch team loaded more than 700,000 gallons of fuel into the 32-story Space Launch System rocket early Wednesday, setting the stage for blast off in the evening at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Artemis astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen are on board. They'll hurtle several thousand miles beyond the moon, hang a U-turn and then come straight back. No circling around the moon, no stopping for a moonwalk — just a quick out-and-back lasting less than 10 days. NASA promises more boot prints in the gray lunar dust, but not before a couple practice missions.
Unlike the Apollo missions that sent astronauts to the moon from 1968 through 1972, Artemis' debut crew includes a woman, a person of color and a Canadian citizen.
Artemis II is the opening shot of NASA's grand plans for a permanent moon base. The space program is aiming for a moon landing near the lunar south pole in 2028.
The Latest:
Into higher orbit
An hour into the flight, the upper stage boosted the Orion capsule, Integrity, and its crew into a higher orbit around Earth.
"The sun is rising on Integrity," Wiseman radioed. Koch, meanwhile, had an extremely important job: Getting the toilet working.
The to-do list for the Artemis II crew
The four astronauts will be sticking close to home for the next day or so, checking out the capsule in orbit around Earth.
Later tonight the upper stage of the rocket will separate, and the crew will manually fly the Orion capsule toward it to practice docking, preparing for future missions to the moon's surface.
Tomorrow night they will fire Orion's main engine to escape Earth's gravity and head for the moon, 248,000 miles away.
Artemis II crew reaches orbit
The four astronauts headed to the moon have reached orbit. They will circle the Earth for about 25 hours before catapulting toward the moon.
'A beautiful moonrise'
Five minutes into humanity's first flight to the moon in 53 years, Commander Reid Wiseman saw the team's target: "We have a beautiful moonrise, we're headed right at it," he said from the capsule.
Artemis II blasted off from same site as Apollo explorers
Artemis II set sail from the same Florida launch site that sent Apollo's explorers to the moon so long ago. The handful still alive cheered this next generation's grand adventure as the Space Launch System rocket thundered into the early evening sky, a nearly full moon beckoning some 248,000 miles (400,000 kilometers) away.
Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman led the charge into space with "Let's go to the moon!" accompanied by pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada's Jeremy Hansen. It was the most diverse lunar crew ever with the first woman, person of color and non-U.S. citizen riding in NASA's new Orion capsule.
Artemis II astronauts bound for moon after rocketing away on NASA's first lunar voyage in decades
The four astronauts have embarked on a high-stakes flight around the moon, humanity's first lunar voyage in more than 53 years and the thrilling leadoff in NASA's push toward a landing in two years.
The 32-story rocket rose from NASA's Kennedy Space Center where tens of thousands gathered to witness the dawn of this new era. Crowds also jammed the surrounding roads and beaches, reminiscent of the Apollo moonshots in the 1960s and '70s. It is NASA's biggest step yet toward establishing a permanent lunar presence.
After final poll, Artemis II gets the go
Commander Reid Wiseman said it all: "Artemis II crew is go for launch. Full set." This after a planned hold to check in with the whole team.
How Artemis II will fly around the moon
On flight day six, Orion will reach its farthermost point from Earth as it sails 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) beyond the moon.
That will surpass Apollo 13's distance record, which would make Artemis astronauts the most remote travelers.
Apollo 13 set the record in 1970 — nearly 250,000 miles (400,000 kilometers) from Earth — days after its "Houston, we've had a problem" oxygen tank rupture. To return home, the Apollo astronauts relied on the moon and Earth's gravity to swing back around, minimizing the need for fuel.
After emerging from behind the moon using this maneuver, the Artemis crew will head straight home with a splashdown on flight day 10 — nine days, one hour and 46 minutes after liftoff.
Artemis II cleared for launch after battery issue
NASA has cleared the mission for launch after a battery issue was resolved. It is believed to be an instrumentation issue and not a problem with the battery itself.
What is a countdown hold?
Holds or pauses are built into the countdown ahead of time to provide a buffer to the schedule.
NASA can extend these holds if a problem is detected. This gives the launch team time to investigate the issue and resume counting if it can be fixed in time. NASA can also call an unplanned hold if necessary.
The first planned was set at the 12-hour, 35-minute mark — before fueling — and lasted for two hours and 45 minutes.
The second planned hold occurs at the 40-minute mark and lasts 30 minutes. It's during this hold that the launch director polls the team to determine whether everyone is "go" or to proceed.
A battery issue crops up
With 52 minutes remaining in the countdown, NASA's Derrol Nail reported that one of two batteries in the abort system is not displaying the proper temperature.
The launch team is scrambling to determine whether a sensor is at fault or whether the battery itself is faulty. NASA cannot proceed past the six-minute mark unless confident in the batteries' operation.
How Artemis II astronauts will return to Earth
Like with Apollo, the mission will end with a splashdown homecoming into the Pacific.
Navy recovery ships will be stationed off the coast of San Diego as Orion parachutes into the ocean.
How do Artemis II astronauts get medical care in space?
There's a medical kit aboard Orion containing basic first-aid items, common medications like antibiotics, and medical devices such as a blood pressure monitor and thermometer.
Astronauts can also have private medical consultations with flight surgeons on the ground via video, similar to a telehealth visit on Earth.
Ahead of launch, the crew was in quarantine to avoid falling ill.
Artemis program started under President Donald Trump's first term
"President Trump is excited about the next phase with the historic upcoming Artemis II launch," said White House spokesperson Liz Huston. "This effort will strengthen American leadership in space, usher in scientific discoveries, and serve as the proving ground for missions to Mars."
Trump is expected to monitor Wednesday's launch from the White House.
Technical issue resolved
An unspecified issue with the rocket's flight-termination system, which would send a self-destruct signal to the rocket in case it veered off course and was aiming for a populated area, has been resolved, NASA said.
Spectators cheered when NASA made its announcement.
NASA is probing a technical issue
There is an unspecified issue with the rocket's flight-termination system, which would send a self-destruct signal to the rocket in case it veered off course and was aiming for a populated area.
"Pretty unique situation here," NASA commentator Derrol Nail explained.
One of the launch controllers has been called into service to dash over to the adjoining Vehicle Assembly Building to grab space shuttle-era equipment, he said. He stressed that it is not a problem with the rocket itself.
"At this moment the range is no-go, but that is not stopping us from moving forward in the countdown," Nail reported.
What's on the menu to the moon?
Forget about puree squeezed from toothpaste-style tubes.
Modern space food is more appetizing and nutritious than the meals that flew to space in the 1960s — though options are still limited.
During the Artemis II mission, astronauts can feast on mac and cheese, tortillas and vegetable quiche. Drinks include coffee, green tea and lemonade, among other beverages.
Astronauts use water to rehydrate their meals and a food warmer to heat up their food. Menus are designed to minimize crumbs, which can pose a danger if they clog spacecraft equipment or get into astronauts' eyes.
Fresh food isn't an option since the Orion capsule lacks refrigeration.
NASA's lunar road map after Artemis II
The space agency recently rejiggered its Artemis moon exploration program, modeling it after fast-paced Apollo, which launched moonshots in quick succession in the 1960s and 1970s.
1. Artemis II involves a lunar fly-around by four astronauts.
2. Artemis III focuses on launching a lunar lander into orbit around Earth in 2027 for docking practice by astronauts flying in an Orion capsule.
3. Artemis IV aims to land astronauts on the moon in 2028.
Last month NASA's new administrator Jared Isaacman laid out a blueprint for a moon base that, along with lunar drones and rovers, is expected to cost $20 billion over the next seven years.
What happens if there's a solar storm during the moon journey?
Space weather forecasters plan to closely track the sun as the Artemis II crew heads to the moon and back.
In recent months, huge eruptions on the sun's surface have triggered solar storms that spawned colorful auroras in unexpected places on Earth.
Artemis II astronauts will wear personal dosimeters to monitor radiation levels. If there's a sudden spike, astronauts can reconfigure the cabin into a shelter by putting barriers to shield themselves from incoming radiation.
NASA's launch team loaded more than 700,000 gallons of fuel into the 32-story Space Launch System rocket early Wednesday, setting the stage for blast off in the evening at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Artemis astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen are on board. They'll hurtle several thousand miles beyond the moon, hang a U-turn and then come straight back. No circling around the moon, no stopping for a moonwalk — just a quick out-and-back lasting less than 10 days. NASA promises more boot prints in the gray lunar dust, but not before a couple practice missions.
Unlike the Apollo missions that sent astronauts to the moon from 1968 through 1972, Artemis' debut crew includes a woman, a person of color and a Canadian citizen.
Artemis II is the opening shot of NASA's grand plans for a permanent moon base. The space program is aiming for a moon landing near the lunar south pole in 2028.
The Latest:
Into higher orbit
An hour into the flight, the upper stage boosted the Orion capsule, Integrity, and its crew into a higher orbit around Earth.
"The sun is rising on Integrity," Wiseman radioed. Koch, meanwhile, had an extremely important job: Getting the toilet working.
The to-do list for the Artemis II crew
The four astronauts will be sticking close to home for the next day or so, checking out the capsule in orbit around Earth.
Later tonight the upper stage of the rocket will separate, and the crew will manually fly the Orion capsule toward it to practice docking, preparing for future missions to the moon's surface.
Tomorrow night they will fire Orion's main engine to escape Earth's gravity and head for the moon, 248,000 miles away.
Artemis II crew reaches orbit
The four astronauts headed to the moon have reached orbit. They will circle the Earth for about 25 hours before catapulting toward the moon.
'A beautiful moonrise'
Five minutes into humanity's first flight to the moon in 53 years, Commander Reid Wiseman saw the team's target: "We have a beautiful moonrise, we're headed right at it," he said from the capsule.
Artemis II blasted off from same site as Apollo explorers
Artemis II set sail from the same Florida launch site that sent Apollo's explorers to the moon so long ago. The handful still alive cheered this next generation's grand adventure as the Space Launch System rocket thundered into the early evening sky, a nearly full moon beckoning some 248,000 miles (400,000 kilometers) away.
Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman led the charge into space with "Let's go to the moon!" accompanied by pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada's Jeremy Hansen. It was the most diverse lunar crew ever with the first woman, person of color and non-U.S. citizen riding in NASA's new Orion capsule.
Artemis II astronauts bound for moon after rocketing away on NASA's first lunar voyage in decades
The four astronauts have embarked on a high-stakes flight around the moon, humanity's first lunar voyage in more than 53 years and the thrilling leadoff in NASA's push toward a landing in two years.
The 32-story rocket rose from NASA's Kennedy Space Center where tens of thousands gathered to witness the dawn of this new era. Crowds also jammed the surrounding roads and beaches, reminiscent of the Apollo moonshots in the 1960s and '70s. It is NASA's biggest step yet toward establishing a permanent lunar presence.
After final poll, Artemis II gets the go
Commander Reid Wiseman said it all: "Artemis II crew is go for launch. Full set." This after a planned hold to check in with the whole team.
How Artemis II will fly around the moon
On flight day six, Orion will reach its farthermost point from Earth as it sails 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) beyond the moon.
That will surpass Apollo 13's distance record, which would make Artemis astronauts the most remote travelers.
Apollo 13 set the record in 1970 — nearly 250,000 miles (400,000 kilometers) from Earth — days after its "Houston, we've had a problem" oxygen tank rupture. To return home, the Apollo astronauts relied on the moon and Earth's gravity to swing back around, minimizing the need for fuel.
After emerging from behind the moon using this maneuver, the Artemis crew will head straight home with a splashdown on flight day 10 — nine days, one hour and 46 minutes after liftoff.
Artemis II cleared for launch after battery issue
NASA has cleared the mission for launch after a battery issue was resolved. It is believed to be an instrumentation issue and not a problem with the battery itself.
What is a countdown hold?
Holds or pauses are built into the countdown ahead of time to provide a buffer to the schedule.
NASA can extend these holds if a problem is detected. This gives the launch team time to investigate the issue and resume counting if it can be fixed in time. NASA can also call an unplanned hold if necessary.
The first planned was set at the 12-hour, 35-minute mark — before fueling — and lasted for two hours and 45 minutes.
The second planned hold occurs at the 40-minute mark and lasts 30 minutes. It's during this hold that the launch director polls the team to determine whether everyone is "go" or to proceed.
A battery issue crops up
With 52 minutes remaining in the countdown, NASA's Derrol Nail reported that one of two batteries in the abort system is not displaying the proper temperature.
The launch team is scrambling to determine whether a sensor is at fault or whether the battery itself is faulty. NASA cannot proceed past the six-minute mark unless confident in the batteries' operation.
How Artemis II astronauts will return to Earth
Like with Apollo, the mission will end with a splashdown homecoming into the Pacific.
Navy recovery ships will be stationed off the coast of San Diego as Orion parachutes into the ocean.
How do Artemis II astronauts get medical care in space?
There's a medical kit aboard Orion containing basic first-aid items, common medications like antibiotics, and medical devices such as a blood pressure monitor and thermometer.
Astronauts can also have private medical consultations with flight surgeons on the ground via video, similar to a telehealth visit on Earth.
Ahead of launch, the crew was in quarantine to avoid falling ill.
Artemis program started under President Donald Trump's first term
"President Trump is excited about the next phase with the historic upcoming Artemis II launch," said White House spokesperson Liz Huston. "This effort will strengthen American leadership in space, usher in scientific discoveries, and serve as the proving ground for missions to Mars."
Trump is expected to monitor Wednesday's launch from the White House.
Technical issue resolved
An unspecified issue with the rocket's flight-termination system, which would send a self-destruct signal to the rocket in case it veered off course and was aiming for a populated area, has been resolved, NASA said.
Spectators cheered when NASA made its announcement.
NASA is probing a technical issue
There is an unspecified issue with the rocket's flight-termination system, which would send a self-destruct signal to the rocket in case it veered off course and was aiming for a populated area.
"Pretty unique situation here," NASA commentator Derrol Nail explained.
One of the launch controllers has been called into service to dash over to the adjoining Vehicle Assembly Building to grab space shuttle-era equipment, he said. He stressed that it is not a problem with the rocket itself.
"At this moment the range is no-go, but that is not stopping us from moving forward in the countdown," Nail reported.
What's on the menu to the moon?
Forget about puree squeezed from toothpaste-style tubes.
Modern space food is more appetizing and nutritious than the meals that flew to space in the 1960s — though options are still limited.
During the Artemis II mission, astronauts can feast on mac and cheese, tortillas and vegetable quiche. Drinks include coffee, green tea and lemonade, among other beverages.
Astronauts use water to rehydrate their meals and a food warmer to heat up their food. Menus are designed to minimize crumbs, which can pose a danger if they clog spacecraft equipment or get into astronauts' eyes.
Fresh food isn't an option since the Orion capsule lacks refrigeration.
NASA's lunar road map after Artemis II
The space agency recently rejiggered its Artemis moon exploration program, modeling it after fast-paced Apollo, which launched moonshots in quick succession in the 1960s and 1970s.
1. Artemis II involves a lunar fly-around by four astronauts.
2. Artemis III focuses on launching a lunar lander into orbit around Earth in 2027 for docking practice by astronauts flying in an Orion capsule.
3. Artemis IV aims to land astronauts on the moon in 2028.
Last month NASA's new administrator Jared Isaacman laid out a blueprint for a moon base that, along with lunar drones and rovers, is expected to cost $20 billion over the next seven years.
What happens if there's a solar storm during the moon journey?
Space weather forecasters plan to closely track the sun as the Artemis II crew heads to the moon and back.
In recent months, huge eruptions on the sun's surface have triggered solar storms that spawned colorful auroras in unexpected places on Earth.
Artemis II astronauts will wear personal dosimeters to monitor radiation levels. If there's a sudden spike, astronauts can reconfigure the cabin into a shelter by putting barriers to shield themselves from incoming radiation.