On the morning of April 2, 2026, a launch from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center reverberated across the United States and the world, carrying humanity’s first crewed spacecraft back to the Moon in more than five decades. NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight under the Artemis program which began in 2017, marked a pivotal moment in lunar exploration, spotlighting the return of humans to the Moon’s orbit and paving the way for future landings and a sustained presence on our nearest celestial neighbor.
\n\n
Sadržaj...
Historic Launch Marks Milestone 50 Years Since Apollo
\n
It has now been just over 50 years since Apollo 17 left Earth in December 1972, the last American crewed mission to the lunar surface. The Artemis program’s objectives—reestablish a durable foothold on the Moon and launch the groundwork for eventual missions to Mars—are inspired by the storied Apollo successes but built for the complexities of modern spaceflight and 21st‑century science. In the early 2020s, the United States joined a growing coalition of nations and private companies committed to a renewed focus on the Moon.
\n
On launch day, President of the United States, Vice‑President, the National Astronautical Academy, NASA officials, and thousands of journalists gathered in the historic McAuliffe‑Kerr complex to witness Space Launch System (SLS) booster 123‑Mcarthur lift off. The green flag ceremony, familiar yet electric, unfolded against a backdrop of crisp white and the glossy sheen of the SpaceX‑built crew module. The countdown was smooth, and at T‑0 the sky was lit by the first shake of a supersonic rocket fire behind Orion’s heat‑protected capsule.
\n\n
Who Is on Board?
\n
- \n
- Reid Wiseman – Commander, veteran Marine Corps astronaut representing NASA’s Artemis crew.
- Victor Glover – Pilot, experienced mission specialist planning the next lunar landing.
- Christina Koch – Mission specialist, aboard to conduct a range of research experiments.
- Jeremy Hansen – Canadian astronaut on behalf of the Canadian Space Agency, fulfilling both scientific and international partnership roles.
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Collectively, these four astronauts are a blend of US and foreign expertise, mirroring Artemis’s overarching goal of global collaboration. Each crew member has undergone rigorous training and simulation, emphasising not only spaceflight skills but also the psychological rigour required for long missions beyond Earth’s protective embrace.
\n\n
Mission Objectives and Flight Profile
\n
Artemis II’s primary thrust is to make the first crewed lunar orbital transit and free‑return to Earth. The mission is purposely designed to avoid landing, thereby allowing NASA to place all focus on the “flight test” of Orion’s systems and the Space Launch System’s performance in deep‑space conditions.
\n
After launch, the Orion spacecraft will carry the four astronauts aboard a free‑return trajectory that climbs into the Moon’s gravity well, loops around the far side of the lunar body, and then uses the Moon’s gravitational sling to shave velocity from the spacecraft, sending it safely back to Earth. The planned duration is about ten days, concluding with a splash‑down in the Western Pacific’s “Blue Pencil” region—a stretch of ocean historically used for crewed splashdowns.
\n
During the voyage, astronauts will manually manoeuvre Orion into a carefully crafted lunar orbit, perform a battery of scientific and technical experiments, and validate the spacecraft’s life‑support, power, and communication systems. Early reports indicate that the path will also cross the “Great White Spot,” a cold region on the far side of the Moon where new ice‑capped craters were detected by previous orbiters; imagery from the mission should refine understanding of lunar geology.
\n
Reid Wiseman, the commander, promptly reported to the comms link after a few minutes of flight: "Prekrasan pogled", translating the Serbian phrase to English as “beautiful view,” and added, "We have a beautiful view of the moon." His enthusiastic tone echoed through the network, rallying NASA’s crew support teams and the public behind a historic moment.
\n\n
Integration With NASA’s Long‑Term Lunar Vision
\n
Artemis II is one rung on an ambitious ladder that NASA intends to climb toward 2030s and beyond. The Artemis IV mission, slated for 2028, will build on Orion’s proven reliability by deploying the first lander, yet another collaboration with national partners. After a
Leave a Comment