Artemis II Moon mission complete!
✅✅✅✅✅✅
- Space Launch System rocket launched crew into space
- Orion spacecraft kept astronauts safe
- Flew around the Moon, observed its far side
- New human spaceflight distance record
- Crew safely returned to Earth
- Inspired the WORLD
Jesse, Steve, Laddy, and Vlad….such an incredible feeling to welcome you aboard Integrity after a nearly 700,000 mile journey. Forever thankful for your service to our crew and the nation.
Sky full of stars.
Following a successful lunar flyby, the Artemis II astronauts captured this breathtaking photo of our galaxy, the Milky Way, on April 7, 2026.
Hello, Moon. It’s great to be back.
Here’s a taste of what the Artemis II astronauts photographed during their flight around the Moon. Check out more photos from the mission: https://t.co/rzM1P0QbOl
Earthset.
The Artemis II crew captured this view of an Earthset on April 6, 2026, as they flew around the Moon. The image is reminiscent of the iconic Earthrise image taken by astronaut Bill Anders 58 years earlier as the Apollo 8 crew flew around the Moon.
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Artemis II has reached its maximum distance from Earth.
On the far side of the Moon, 252,756 miles away, Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy have now traveled farther from Earth than any humans in history and now begin their journey home. Before they left, they said they hoped this mission would be forgotten, but it will be remembered as the moment people started to believe that America can once again do the near-impossible and change the world.
Congratulations to this incredible crew and the entire NASA team, our international and commercial partners, but this mission isn’t over until they’re under safe parachutes, splashing down into the Pacific.
The world stopped to watch Artemis II.
Moments like this remind us what is possible and inspire the next generation to dream bigger and take us even further.
We are just getting started on this grand adventure. It is time to start believing again.
One last look at Earth before we reach the Moon.
This view of the Earth was captured on April 5, the fourth day of the Artemis II mission, from inside the Orion spacecraft. The four astronauts will reach their closest approach of the Moon tomorrow, April 6.
We're going farther than ever before 🚀
Today, the Artemis II crew will break the record for how far humans have traveled from Earth as they fly around the far side of the Moon.
Coverage begins at 1 p.m. EDT (1700 UTC). Watch Artemis II make history: https://t.co/G7LpghURjg
“That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives.”
― Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space
That's us! 🌍
The Artemis II crew captured beautiful, high-resolution images of our home planet during their journey to the Moon. As @Astro_Christina put it: "You guys look great."
Liftoff.
The Artemis II mission launched from @NASAKennedy at 6:35pm ET (2235 UTC), propelling four astronauts on a journey around the Moon.
Artemis II will pave the way for future Moon landings, as well as the next giant leap — astronauts on Mars.