Artemis II: A crewed lunar flyby to test systems—with no landing
Artemis II will carry four astronauts on a lunar flyby, not a lander mission. The goal is to test life-support, thermal control, navigation, propulsion and other onboard systems aboard the Orion capsule and SLS rocket on a translunar, free-return trajectory, with lunar landing deferred to Artemis III (using SpaceX’s Starship HLS). The mission emphasizes crew safety and vehicle health first, may push the crew farther from Earth than any humans have gone, and mirrors Apollo-era testing before attempting a surface landing.
