NASA's Artemis II mission will send four astronauts around the moon as early as February 8, marking the first crewed lunar flight in 53 years. The crew won't land, they'll fly 400,171 km from Earth and return after 10 days.
Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen are in quarantine in Houston. The mission tests NASA's Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule with humans aboard for the first time. Think of it as a shakedown cruise before the main event.
That main event is Artemis III, the actual landing mission targeting the moon's south pole. NASA now says no earlier than 2028, delayed from the original 2027 target. The culprit: Orion heat shield issues discovered during the uncrewed Artemis I test flight, plus SpaceX Starship development delays. The Starship serves as the human landing system, requiring multiple refueling launches before ferrying two astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface.
The south pole matters because of water ice deposits in permanently shadowed craters. That ice could support sustained lunar operations and produce fuel for Mars missions. Nine landing sites are under consideration, including Malapert Massif and Mons Mouton.
Artemis III will keep two astronauts on the surface for six to seven days, conducting four spacewalks in Axiom Space suits. The full mission spans about 30 days.
The GAO called the 2027 timeline unlikely back in December 2023. They were right. Current issues include Orion life support valve problems flagged in February 2026. NASA has contingency plans: a crewed orbit-only mission or a Gateway space station visit if Starship isn't ready.
The interdependencies are the story here. Artemis II must succeed before III launches. Starship needs to prove orbital refueling. Gateway needs funding. Remove any piece and the timeline stretches further.
Koch holds the record for longest single spaceflight by a woman. Hansen is Canada's first lunar astronaut. Glover will be the first person of color on a lunar mission. Wiseman, a single father and former Navy officer, spent six months on ISS in 2014.
History suggests watching the heat shield data closely. Reentry from lunar distance hits 40,000 km/hour. The margin for error is thin.