NASA Artemis II Moon Mission: Crewed Lunar Flyby Marks Return After 50 Years

NASA has taken a major step toward returning humans to the Moon after more than 50 years by rolling out its massive new lunar rocket for the Artemis II mission. The milestone move marks the agency’s first crewed mission beyond Earth’s orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.

On January 17, NASA transported its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion crew capsule to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Centre, setting the stage for a historic mission.

SLS Rocket’s Slow Journey to Launch Pad 39B

The 98-metre-tall rocket began its slow journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building at dawn.

• Speed: 1 mph (1.6 km/h)

• Distance covered: Approximately four miles

• Time taken: From dawn until dusk

The rocket, standing 322 feet tall and weighing nearly 11 million pounds, was carried on a massive crawler-transporter that once served the Apollo and Space Shuttle programmes.

Thousands of NASA employees, their families, and space enthusiasts gathered in freezing pre-dawn conditions to witness what felt like a ceremonial procession—an event years in the making after multiple Artemis programme delays.

Modified Apollo-Era Transporter Used

The crawler-transporter, originally built for Apollo and Shuttle missions, was modified to support the added weight of the SLS rocket.

• Combined weight of rocket and Orion capsule: 5 million kg

• Transport speed: Slightly over one mile per hour

An empty Orion capsule previously flew around the Moon during the Artemis I mission in November 2022, the only other SLS flight so far.

Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since 1972

Who Are the Astronauts?

The Artemis II mission will carry four astronauts:

• Reid Wiseman – Commander

• Victor Glover – Pilot

• Christina Koch – Mission Specialist

• Jeremy Hansen – Mission Specialist (Canada)

The crew will travel around the Moon for about 10 days before returning to Earth. They will not orbit or land on the lunar surface, according to the Associated Press.

NASA’s John Honeycutt said in a statement to the source:

“This one feels a lot different, putting crew on the rocket and taking the crew around the moon,”

First Humans to Return Since Apollo 17

The Artemis II astronauts will be the first humans to journey to the Moon since Harrison Schmitt and Gene Cernan completed Apollo 17 in 1972.

• Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to walk on the Moon in 1969

• A total of 12 astronauts walked on the lunar surface during the Apollo era

Final Tests and Wet Dress Rehearsal

Once the rocket reached the pad, engineers began final preparations, including:

• System checks

• Integrated testing

• Countdown simulations

A key upcoming milestone is the “wet dress rehearsal”, a full fueling and launch countdown simulation scheduled for early February.

New Laser Communication System to Be Tested

NASA will also test a next-generation laser-based communication system during Artemis II.

• System name: Orion Artemis II Optical Communication System (O2O)

• Purpose: High-speed data transmission between Earth and spacecraft

Artemis II Launch Timeline Update

NASA is currently targeting a March launch window after detecting fuel leaks during February 2 tests.

• Earlier expected launch: February 5 or 6

• Revised expected launch window: March 5 or 6

• Official launch date and time: Yet to be announced

The launch will be livestreamed on NASA’s YouTube channel once finalised.

Why Artemis II Is a Historic Mission

Artemis II represents:

• NASA’s return to deep-space human exploration

• A bridge between Apollo-era missions and future Moon landings

• A critical step toward Artemis III, which aims to land astronauts on the Moon

The mission also supports NASA’s long-term goal of establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon and preparing for future Mars missions.