Artemis II Crew Arrives Florida

The Artemis II mission, led by United States — NASA, is entering its final phase of preparations for the first crewed journey toward the Moon in over five decades. Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen arrived in Florida for launch as early as April 1 aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion crew capsule. This 10-day mission will send the crew on a high-speed loop around the Moon, testing the Orion spacecraft's systems. Boeing is the prime contractor for the SLS core stage, Northrop Grumman builds the rocket's solid-fuel boosters, and Lockheed Martin produces the Orion spacecraft. The mission is a critical step in United States — NASA's Artemis program, aiming for a sustained human presence on the Moon and future missions to Mars. Victor Glover will be the first Black astronaut, Christina Koch the first woman, and Jeremy Hansen the first non-American astronaut to travel to the Moon's vicinity.