NASA is preparing to send astronauts on a journey around the Moon in
February 2026, marking the first crewed lunar mission since the Apollo
era. A Step Closer to Lunar Return The Artemis II mission will see four
astronauts – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian
Jeremy Hansen – embark on a ten-day […]
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#^NASA Eyes February 2026 for First Crewed Moon Mission in Over 50 YearsNASA is preparing to
send astronauts on a journey around the Moon in February 2026, marking the first crewed lunar mission since the Apollo era.
A Step Closer to Lunar Return
The Artemis II mission will see four astronauts – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen – embark on a ten-day voyage around the Moon. They will not land, but the flight will push human space travel farther from Earth than ever before.
It will also be the first time astronauts travel beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. Flight director Jeff Radigan said: “They’re going at least 5,000 nautical miles (9,200 km) past the Moon, which is much higher than previous missions have gone.”
New Launch Window Revealed
NASA had previously set a target of “no later than April 2026,” but now hopes to open a launch window as early as 5 February 2026. Monthly launch opportunities will last between four and eight days, depending on Earth-Moon alignment.
Testing Systems for Future Landings
Artemis II follows the successful
Artemis I flight of November 2022, when an uncrewed Orion capsule orbited the Moon. That mission lasted 25 days and revealed issues with Orion’s heat shield, which engineers have since addressed.
The upcoming flight will put Orion’s life support, software, and manual controls through their first crewed test. The astronauts will also rehearse docking procedures in space by manoeuvring Orion near its upper-stage booster.
NASA officials stress that this mission is not about speed, but about readiness for the more ambitious Artemis III, which aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface no earlier than 2027.
A Science Mission in Orbit
During their journey, the crew will also support biomedical experiments. Scientists will study “organoids” grown from the astronauts’ own blood before and after the flight to see how radiation and microgravity affect human tissue.
Dr Nicky Fox, NASA’s head of science, explained: “I’m certainly not going to dissect an astronaut! But I can dissect these little organoid samples and really look at the difference.”
The Bigger Picture
Artemis II will use NASA’s giant Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which is nearly complete at Kennedy Space Centre. The rocket will undergo stacking, testing, and a “wet dress rehearsal” before being cleared for flight.
Some U.S. officials have described the Artemis programme as part of a ‘second space race’ with China, but NASA insists safety comes first. If successful, the mission will not only pave the way for humanity’s return to the Moon but also lay the foundations for a long-term presence on the lunar surface.
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NASA Eyes February 2026 for First Crewed Moon Mission in Over 50 Years appeared first on
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