The Missions

Artemis II

Scheduled for 2027
Test one or both landers in low Earth orbit

Artemis IV

Scheduled for Early 2028
Land on the Moon 
Conduct experiments

Artemis V

Scheduled for Late 2028
Land on the Moon
Conduct experiments
Begin construction of lunar base

Future Missions

To Be Determined

Spacecraft

A space capsule is seen at the forefront of the frame while the Earth and Moon is visible in the background.

Orion Capsule

This cone-shaped capsule can seat up to four crew members and support missions up to 21 days. One major difference from Apollo: it uses solar arrays for power.  

Four orange spacesuits hang in a row with the Artemis II patch visible.

Current Mission

Artemis II

This 10-day mission will fly around the Moon.  

Artemis II is the first crewed Artemis mission. It will test:  

  • NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (the systems involved in launching and recovery rockets and spacecraft)
  • The SLS rocket
  • The Orion spacecraft, including Orion’s life-support systems  
All About Artemis II

The Crew

The Earth, brilliant blue with swirling white clouds, partly obscured by shadow, stands against a stark sky in this iconic photograph.

How does Artemis II compare to Apollo?

Much like Apollo 8, Artemis II is testing a spacecraft on a flight to the vicinity of the Moon in preparation for future missions.
One of the major differences between these missions is their flight path: Apollo 8 orbited the Moon whereas Artemis II is a flyby mission.   

More About Apollo 8

Go Behind the Scenes

Educational Resources

Artist rendering that shows the Earth and Moon with a drawn line that indicates the flight path of a mission. The line creates a figure 8 pattern that circles both the Earth and then the Moon.
More About the

Artemis Program