A brief recap of the historic space flight of Artemis II around the Moon

In April 2026, NASA’s Artemis II mission marked a defining moment in the history of human spaceflight. As the first crewed mission to travel beyond low Earth orbit in more than half a century, Artemis II signalled not just a return to the Moon, but the beginning of a new era of exploration aimed at long-term lunar presence and eventual missions deeper into space.

Artemis II launched on April 1, with four astronauts in the Orion Spacecraft, which was carried into orbit by NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. The Orion was named Integrity by the crew members for their journey around the Moon. Over the course of just under 10 days, the crew travelled hundreds of thousands of kilometres into deep space before safely returning to Earth on April 10.

The crew named themselves Integrity because they felt that it embodied the foundation of trust, respect, candour and humility shared by the crew and the many engineers, technicians, scientists and planners required for the mission to succeed. The name was also a nod to the extensive effort — from the more than 300,000 spacecraft components to the thousands of people across the globe that came together — to venture to the Moon and back, inspire the world and set course for a long-term presence at the Moon. 

Unlike the latter Apollo missions, the last of which was Apollo 17 in 1972, Artemis II was not intended to land on the Moon. Instead, it served as a critical test flight, ensuring that the Orion spacecraft, its life-support systems and mission procedures were safe and effective for future landings. 

Not only did the Artemis II mission make history, but so did the four members of the Orion crew. Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist;  and Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist. They travelled far beyond the Moon during their lunar flyby, becoming the first people to travel that far into deep space. 

This diverse crew represented a new chapter in space exploration. Koch became the first woman to travel beyond low Earth orbit, while Glover became the first person of colour to do so. Hansen, a Canadian astronaut, also marked a milestone as the first non-American to participate in a lunar mission.

The inclusion of an international astronaut highlights the collaborative nature of the Artemis program, which involves partnerships with agencies such as the Canadian Space Agency and the European Space Agency.

Canada’s involvement in Artemis extends just beyond this single mission with Hansen. Canada is also contributing to the Lunar Gateway, a planned space station that will orbit the Moon and serve as a staging point for future missions. In return, Canadian astronauts are expected to play a key role in upcoming Artemis flights.

After launch, Artemis II entered Earth orbit before moving on towards the  Moon. The mission followed a “free-return trajectory,” meaning the gravitational forces of the Earth and Moon naturally guided the spacecraft back home without requiring complex maneuvers. 

During the mission, the crew travelled farther from Earth than any humans before them, reaching distances exceeding 250,000 miles (over 400,000 kilometres).

As Orion passed behind the Moon, the crew experienced a communications blackout where they were unable to communicate with Earth, but during this time, they captured many images of the lunar surface and the Earth from afar, including rare views of “Earthset,” where our planet appears to sink below the Moon’s horizon. These photos of “Earthset” mimic the iconic Earthrise photos taken by the Apollo 8 astronauts in 1968. 

The mission also provided a unique opportunity to observe the Moon’s far side, a region that remains largely unexplored and scientifically valuable.

Re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere is one of the most dangerous phases of any space mission, and Artemis II was no exception. The Orion spacecraft returned at speeds approaching 30,000 miles per hour, generating extreme heat as it passed through the atmosphere. 

Engineers are now analyzing data from the mission, particularly the performance of the spacecraft’s heat shield, to refine designs for future flights.

Artemis II is more than just a single mission. It’s a stepping stone towards a sustained human presence on the Moon. It builds directly on the success of Artemis I (an uncrewed test flight in 2022) and paves the way for Artemis III, which aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface later this decade. 

“I like the idea that it sparks excitement again about going to space,”said Kierstin Anderson, who is the Human Resources Project manager for the RADSAT-SK project run by the U of S Space Team. ”Whether you’re a small child and you want to be an astronaut for Halloween, or you’re a student in university who’s like ‘I didn’t think that was possible, but maybe now I can work with the Canadian Space Agency or like NASA or something.”

What makes Artemis II particularly significant is its symbolic and practical role in shaping the future of space exploration. Unlike the Apollo program, which was driven largely by geopolitical competition, Artemis emphasizes international cooperation and sustainability.

The mission also reflects a shift in priorities from short-term exploration to long-term habitation and scientific research. The technologies that were tested during Artemis II will not only support future lunar missions but also contribute to the development of systems needed for human missions deeper into the solar system.