Artemis II Mission (NASA) 

Context

• NASA announced that its first crewed Artemis mission (Artemis II) — a 10-day flight around the Moon — is on track for April 2026, with a possibility of prepone to Feb 2026.
• This is part of the U.S. Artemis Program, aimed at returning humans to the Moon.

Key Features of Artemis II

• Mission Type: Crewed lunar flyby (not landing).
• Duration: ~10 days.
• Rocket: Space Launch System (SLS) — built by Boeing & Northrop Grumman.
• Spacecraft: Orion Capsule — built by Lockheed Martin.
• Launch Site: NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
• Crew:
  • Reid Wiseman (Commander, USA) – veteran of ISS (2014).
  • Victor Glover (Pilot, USA) – flew on SpaceX ISS mission (2020).
  • Christina Koch (Mission Specialist, USA) – flew on ISS (2019).
  • Jeremy Hansen (Mission Specialist, Canada) – first Canadian astronaut near Moon.

Significance

1. Precursor to Artemis III
   • Artemis III (planned 2027) will attempt actual Moon landing with SpaceX Starship lunar variant.
   • First human Moon landing since Apollo 17 (1972).
2. International Collaboration
   • Canadian astronaut on board under Artemis Accords → symbol of U.S. & allied space cooperation.
3. Strategic Rivalry
   • Counters China’s lunar program (China plans Moon landing by 2030).
   • Part of broader U.S.-China competition in space technology and geopolitics.
4. Technological Advancement
   • Tests human safety systems on SLS + Orion in deep space.
   • Ensures readiness before Moon landing.
     
     Updated - September 24, 2025 1:52 pm | The Hindu