Artemis II: First Crewed Flight in 54 Years
- Dayeon Lee
- Apr 15
- 2 min read
Apr 15, 2026
Dayeon Lee
NASA’s (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) crewed lunar mission, Artemis II successfully accomplished its mission and returned.
Last April 1st, Artemis II was launched for final inspection of the manned flight system and landed safely in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California, on April 11, after a 10-day flight.
The mission marked a new milestone in the history of lunar exploration as the first manned flight out of low Earth orbit in 54 years since Apollo 17 in 1972. Moreover, the spacecraft reached a distance of approximately 406,771 km, flying about 6,600 km further than the previous record held by Apollo 13 setting the new record of the farthest manned spaceflight.
During the flight, minor technical issues were reported, including instability in the laser optical communication system. However, all critical systems operated normally. As a result, the mission achieved its primary objectives flawlessly: TLI (Trans-Lunar Injection) and the Orion spacecraft performance verification.
This mission also attracted attention for its symbolic significance. Aside from Commander Reid Wiseman, crew members Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen made history as the first woman, the first person of color, and the first non-American, respectively, to travel toward the Moon.
For the return process, the vehicle followed a free-return trajectory, utilizing the Moon’s gravity to loop around and head back to Earth without engine ignition. This approach minimized risk and enhanced mission safety.
Despite facing challenges such as adverse weather conditions and technical issues before launching, Artemis II successfully completes its mission. The achievement opened the possibility of Artemis III, which aims to do a lunar lander docking test flight.
