Artemis program: SLS, Orion and crewed return to the Moon
Programa Artemis: SLS, Orión y retorno tripulado a la Luna
- Date
- 2022-2026 · confidence high
- Place
- Kennedy Space Center, Florida, United States
- Credited to
- NASA with ESA, JAXA, CSA and SpaceX (Starship lander); uncrewed Artemis I in November 2022; crewed Artemis II in 2026
- Field
- Movement
What it is
The SLS rocket and Orion capsule to return humans to the Moon half a century after Apollo, with a crewed flyby mission (Artemis II) in 2026 and a landing planned afterwards. It marks the new lunar race with China.
Artemis I (uncrewed) flew in November 2022. Artemis II launched on 1 April 2026 from LC-39B with Wiseman, Glover, Koch and Hansen, flew around the Moon and splashed down on 11 April 2026.
What it led to
- A lunar base and the Gateway station
- Competition with China's lunar programme
- The exploitation of lunar resources (south pole ice)
Built on
Made possible
- Gateway station
- Starship HLS Moon lander