ieExplains: How Nasa's Artemis II moon mission will unfold

Nasa astronauts Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander, from left, Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II mission specialist, right, in a group photograph as they visit NASA's Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft, Monday, March 30, 2026. Picture: Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP

Nasa's Artemis II mission, which launched on Wednesday, is expected to last about 10 days, sending four astronauts on a high-speed journey around the ​moon and back in the first crewed lunar mission since the Apollo era.

Artemis ‌II is designed to pave the way for future missions aimed at returning astronauts to the lunar surface later this decade.