Artemis II: Images from Nasa’s historic crewed journey around the moon
Nasa’s Artemis II marks a major milestone as the first crewed mission in the Artemis programme, sending four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon aboard the Orion spacecraft. The mission aims to test critical systems and pave the way for future lunar landings, including the highly anticipated return of humans to the moon.
Nasa astronaut and Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft’s main cabin windows, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels towards the moon on 4 April 2026. (Photo: Nasa via Getty Images)
From left: Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency, mission specialist Christina Koch of Nasa and pilot Victor Glover of Nasa speak to family members during the walkout from the Neil A Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building towards Launch Pad 39B as part of Artemis II’s launch preparations in Titusville, Florida, on 1 April 2026. Artemis II is the first human mission beyond low Earth orbit since 1972. (Photo: EPA / Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich) From left: Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, commander Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch leave the Neil A Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building before the launch of the Artemis II mission at Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 1 April 2026. The 98m Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft will take the astronauts around the moon and back, about 370,149km out into space and the farthest any human has yet travelled from Earth. (Photo: Joe Raedle / Getty Images) The Space Launch System rocket with an Orion capsule, part of the Artemis II mission, is transported from the Nasa Vehicle Assembly Building to Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center on 17 August 2026. (Photo: EPA / Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich) The Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion capsule for the Artemis II mission lifts off at the Kennedy Space Center on 1 April 2026. (Photo: EPA / Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich) The Artemis II Space Launch System rocket lifts off on 1 April 2026. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images) The Space Launch System is a super heavy-lift expendable rocket designed for deep space exploration. (EPA / Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich) Guests at the Kennedy Space Center watch the launch of the Space Launch System rocket on 1 April 2026. (Photo: Bill Ingalls / Nasa / Getty Images) The 10-day Artemis II mission with four Nasa astronauts has completed its moon flyby, travelling further any human has from Earth. (Photo: Joe Raedle / Getty Images) People watch the launch of Artemis II from the A Max Brewer Bridge in Titusville, Florida, on 1 April 2026. (Photo: Gerardo Mora / Getty Images) People gather on the day of the launch of the next-generation moon rocket and the Orion crew capsule from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 1 April 2026. (Photo: Reuters / Marco Bello)
/file/attachments/orphans/13878477_568278.jpg "From left: Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency, mission specialist Christina Koch of Nasa and pilot Victor Glover of Nasa speak to family members during the walkout from the Neil A Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building towards Launch Pad 39B as part of Artemis II’s launch preparations in Titusville, Florida, on 1 April 2026. Artemis II is the first human mission beyond low Earth orbit since 1972. (Photo: EPA / Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich)")
/file/attachments/orphans/GettyImages-2269417686_915189.jpg "From left: Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, commander Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch leave the Neil A Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building before the launch of the Artemis II mission at Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 1 April 2026. The 98m Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft will take the astronauts around the moon and back, about 370,149km out into space and the farthest any human has yet travelled from Earth. (Photo: Joe Raedle / Getty Images)")
/file/attachments/orphans/13651601_781071.jpg "The Space Launch System rocket with an Orion capsule, part of the Artemis II mission, is transported from the Nasa Vehicle Assembly Building to Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center on 17 August 2026. (Photo: EPA / Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich)")
/file/attachments/2990/13878704_606117.jpg "The Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion capsule for the Artemis II mission lifts off at the Kennedy Space Center on 1 April 2026. (Photo: EPA / Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich)")
/file/attachments/orphans/GettyImages-2269451294_165659.jpg "The Artemis II Space Launch System rocket lifts off on 1 April 2026. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)")
/file/attachments/orphans/13878705_571546.jpg "The Space Launch System is a super heavy-lift expendable rocket designed for deep space exploration. (EPA / Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich)")
/file/attachments/orphans/GettyImages-2268825411_580668.jpg "Guests at the Kennedy Space Center watch the launch of the Space Launch System rocket on 1 April 2026. (Photo: Bill Ingalls / Nasa / Getty Images)")
/file/attachments/orphans/GettyImages-2269443833_161949.jpg "The 10-day Artemis II mission with four Nasa astronauts has completed its moon flyby, travelling further any human has from Earth. (Photo: Joe Raedle / Getty Images)")
/file/attachments/orphans/GettyImages-2269444423_955673.jpg "People watch the launch of Artemis II from the A Max Brewer Bridge in Titusville, Florida, on 1 April 2026. (Photo: Gerardo Mora / Getty Images)")
/file/attachments/orphans/RC2MGKACID6J_246435.jpg "People gather on the day of the launch of the next-generation moon rocket and the Orion crew capsule from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 1 April 2026. (Photo: Reuters / Marco Bello)")
Nasa astronaut and Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft’s main cabin windows, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels towards the moon on 4 April 2026. (Photo: Nasa via Getty Images)