Category · ISS

ISS Science & Updates

Briefing · FAQ

Mission questions, answered

When is the Artemis II mission launching?

Artemis II already flew. NASA's Space Launch System lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on April 1, 2026, sending four astronauts on a crewed flight around the Moon aboard Orion. The crew splashed down in the Pacific off San Diego on April 10, 2026, completing humanity's first lunar voyage since Apollo 17.

Who are the Artemis II astronauts?

The four-person crew is NASA commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Christina Koch, joined by Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Glover became the first person of color, Koch the first woman and Hansen the first non-American to travel around the Moon.

How long does it take to travel to the Moon?

A crewed trip to the Moon takes about three days. Apollo astronauts typically reached lunar orbit in roughly 72 to 76 hours, covering about 240,000 miles. Artemis II took longer overall because Orion first checked out its systems in high Earth orbit, and its free-return path around the far side stretched the mission to nearly ten days.

What has the James Webb Space Telescope discovered so far?

Since 2022, Webb has spotted some of the earliest galaxies ever seen, formed less than 300 million years after the Big Bang. It has detected carbon dioxide, water vapor and other molecules in exoplanet atmospheres, revealed unexpected "little red dot" objects in the early universe, and captured record-sharp infrared images of star-forming nebulae.

What happens to the International Space Station after retirement?

NASA plans to retire the ISS around 2030 and guide it into a controlled reentry over a remote stretch of the Pacific Ocean, likely in 2031. A SpaceX-built U.S. Deorbit Vehicle will steer it down so surviving debris falls safely at sea. Commercial space stations are expected to take over research in low Earth orbit.