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.

Here is a day-by-day outline of how the flight is expected to proceed.

Launch day 

Artemis II lifted ​off from Nasa's Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Space Launch System, the ​most powerful rocket the agency has ever flown. 

After launch, the Orion ⁠crew capsule will separate from the rocket’s upper stage and enter a highly elliptical orbit ​around Earth.

Days 1–2: Earth orbit checkouts 

The crew will spend the first one to two days ​in high Earth orbit conducting extensive systems checks. 

These include testing Orion's life-support, propulsion, navigation and communications systems to ensure the spacecraft is ready to head into deep space.

Translunar injection 

Once checkouts are complete, Orion’s propulsion system will ​perform a critical engine burn known as translunar injection, sending the spacecraft out of Earth ​orbit and onto a trajectory toward the moon.

Days 3–4: Coast to the moon 

During the several-day transit to ‌the ⁠moon, astronauts will continue monitoring spacecraft systems en route to operating farther from Earth than any previous human spaceflight. 

Mission controllers will track communications and navigation performance as Orion travels deep into space.

The mission marks the first time humans have ventured that far into space since Apollo 17 in December 1972.

Moon flyby 

Orion will pass behind the Moon on a "free-return" trajectory — a path that naturally swings ​the spacecraft back toward ​Earth without requiring additional ⁠propulsion. 

The spacecraft will reach its greatest distance from Earth during this phase.

Days 5–8: Return to Earth 

After the lunar flyby, the crew will ​spend several days heading home while conducting additional deep-space tests, including ​evaluations of ⁠power systems, thermal controls and crew operations far beyond low Earth orbit.

Re-entry and splashdown 

As Orion approaches Earth, it will separate key components before plunging into the atmosphere at speeds of about 40,233kph. 

Testing the capsule’s heat shield during high-energy ​re-entry is one of the mission’s primary objectives. The spacecraft is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean, where ​recovery teams will retrieve the crew.

 - Reuters