It has been 57 years since humans last flew to the Moon. This is going to change in April when NASA launches the Artemis II mission in order to return astronauts to the lunar surface later this decade. Artemis II is targeted for liftoff at 3:54 am IST on April 2 [6:24 pm EDT, April 1] from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and as the mission unfolds, we’ll be reminded of the historic feats humanity achieved in 1968.
Our Artemis II crew will be going around the Moon, but they’ll always find their way back home 🌎
During this complex journey, the four astronauts will travel ~685,000 miles on a trajectory around the Moon and back to Earth.
See their daily agenda: https://t.co/172PVtri2Z pic.twitter.com/zsK5i6pirj
— NASA Artemis (@NASAArtemis) March 25, 2026
NASA Artemis II, the Apollo 8 of our generation
The Artemis II mission has several similarities with the Apollo 8 mission, which paved way for the first ever human lunar landing. Lasting between December 21-27, 1968, that mission achieved many firsts and objectives that will be repeated during Artemis II.
Apollo 8 was the first crewed flight to leave low-Earth orbit and fly to the Moon. Artemis II will mark humanity’s return to the Moon after 1972 – when the last Apollo mission took off – and the first crew flight of the Artemis program. Both missions launched from the same spaceport – the Kennedy Space Center – although from a different launch pad.
Similar to Apollo 8, Artemis II will not land on the Moon but fly around it and test systems necessary for future landings. It has a pathfinder role similar to Apollo 8 to prove that the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket are fit for deep space crew operations.
A historic feat achieved during Apollo 8 was that humans saw the far side of the Moon for the first time. Artemis II will also sling around the far side, repeating the decades-old achievement.
Apollo 8 was key in taking Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the lunar surface, and Artemis II has the same shoes to fill for the landing mission Artemis IV targeted for a 2028 launch.
Artemis II has a crew of four astronauts whereas Apollo 8 had three – but the purpose of the mission is similar on several fronts.
The astronauts – Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen – are currently in quarantine and are awaiting the big day. NASA said on Sunday that Artemis II is on track to launch in early April.
ALSO READ: Meet Christina Koch, The Coolest Woman NASA Could’ve Chosen For Artemis II
ALSO READ: Four Moon Missions By 2028? How NASA Envisions Artemis Program After Sweeping Changes
