Artemis II in pictures: NASA’s next moon mission like you have never seen before

Over 50 years after Apollo's last mission, NASA is now just 48 hours away from bringing humans back to the moon with Artemis II. This historic 10-day mission marks the first crewed launch of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft as it takes four pioneering astronauts around the moon.

In this photo story, we take a look at how the crew and rocket got to this point of being ready to launch by looking back at all the hard work and challenges that occurred during the uncrewed Artemis 1 foundations in 2022, through the high-pressure survival training of the crews and the complex hardware integration in 2026. The images that follow show how the most powerful rocket in the world is evolving and how the diverse crew is preparing for a permanent presence of Human Beings on the moon. The mission serves as a critical bridge, testing deep-space navigation and life-support systems to ensure astronaut safety for future landings. This journey represents a monumental leap toward establishing a sustainable lunar base and exploring the vast Martian frontier beyond.

On November 16, 2022, at 1:49 AM EST, NASA successfully performed the first-ever ignition of its Space Launch System Rocket and Orion spacecraft on Launch Pad 39B as part of an uncrewed mission to demonstrate how the most powerful rocket in history can launch the Orion capsule towards the moon.

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After over 8,000 nautical miles and speeds over 12,000 nautical miles, Orion will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and crash into the Pacific Ocean on December 11, 2022, after completing a 25.5-day uncrewed mission and setting an uncrewed vehicle record. This mission will evaluate the heat shield for future crewed missions.

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As part of this training, Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman will participate in extensive water survival training at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory through 2024 to prepare for Orion’s high-speed landing and how to stabilise themselves in a raft after exiting the vehicle.

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On January 16, 2026, the 322-foot-tall Space Launch System Rocket and Orion Spacecraft were integrated and completed final checks on their core stage and booster engines before moving to Launch Pad 39B for the historic April 1st mission at Kennedy Space Centre.

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Several media agencies arrived at Kennedy Space Centre on January 16th to set up remote cameras for the rollout of the Artemis II rocket. There are multiple configured setups to allow photographers to capture close-up images of the most massive rocket during its journey to a launch pad.

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After a final rollout on March 20, Artemis II's SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft now stand at the launch pad at Kennedy Space Centre from the assembly building to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Centre. The SLS rocket has completed its final ground tests and is currently fueled for the Wednesday launch and fuel loadings for its lunar mission.

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On January 17, Artemis II’s prime crew members, Wiseman, Glover, Hansen, and Koch, combined with their back-ups, Andre Douglas and Jenni Gibbons, for a group photo. This group worked together to review mission procedures and to ensure that the prime crew members and their back-ups were totally trained ahead of their arrival at the Cape this week.

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The crew members of Artemis II trained inside an Orion mock-up in bright orange OCSS spacesuits. The OCSS is designed to provide the crew with pressure and oxygen protection during launch and reentry, which will be essential to keep the crew members safe during their upcoming ten-day lunar flight.

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