NASA's historic Artemis II mission launched on April 1, 2026, sending four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon. The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center at 6:35 p.m. ET, carrying Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen aboard the Orion spacecraft.
The mission marks the first crewed flight of the Artemis program and the first time humans have traveled beyond Earth's orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. The crew is expected to travel approximately 700,000 miles, setting a new distance record, surpassing Apollo 13's 248,000 miles. Following a day of system checks in Earth orbit, the spacecraft began its multi-day journey to the Moon, with a planned flyby about 5,000 miles beyond the lunar far side on Day 6 before returning to Earth.
The launch provided a significant boost to the space industry and related stocks. Companies like Redwire, which supplies imaging technology for the mission, saw its stock rise 7%. Other firms including Rocket Lab, AST SpaceMobile, Intuitive Machines, Firefly Aerospace, and York Space Systems saw gains between 1% and 9%. These six companies have a combined market value exceeding $80 billion.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman framed the launch as the opening act for establishing a permanent Moon base. The agency is targeting 2028 for the Artemis IV mission, which would land astronauts at the Moon's South Pole. This timeline aims to precede China's planned crewed mission to the same region, expected no earlier than 2030. NASA has invested over $30 billion in the SLS rocket and more than $25 billion in the Orion capsule.
The mission also highlights the evolving commercial space landscape. Privately-held SpaceX, valued at around $1.3 trillion and reportedly planning an IPO that could raise up to $75 billion, was noted for controlling more than half of all orbital launches worldwide with its Starlink service boasting over 10 million subscribers.
