NASA Launches First Artemis Mission

Artemis 1 will mark the debut of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket, which will send an uncrewed Orion capsule into lunar orbit. Orion will spend six weeks in space before returning to Earth in an ocean splashdown on Oct 10.

If successful, Artemis II is scheduled to blast off in May 2024, with a crew of four astronauts, on a lunar-flyby test mission.

Assuming Artemis II is successful, Artemis III is set to land two people on the moon in 2025 – the first human moon landing since Apollo 17 in 1972 – where they will explore the lunar surface and conduct experiments for around one week.