Today is a special day for spaceflight enthusiasts. This is the day NASA‘s Artemis II launched on a historic journey- a 10-day mission looping around the Moon.

The last time humans ventured to the Moon was December 19, 1972, when Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent more than 73 hours on the lunar surface while Ronald Evans remained in orbit above. Cernan would become the last person to walk on the Moon. Now, after more than fifty years, humanity is finally positioning itself for a return.

This current mission began today (4/1/2026) at 6:35 p.m. from Kennedy Space Center. Artemis II carries a four-person crew aboard the Orion spacecraft, led by Commander Reid Wiseman and pilot Victor Glover, alongside mission specialists Jeremy Hansen and Christina Koch. Over the course of the mission, they will travel roughly 685,000 miles, circling the Moon before returning to Earth.

The launch itself was nothing short of spectacular- mesmerizing onlookers as the Space Launch System roared to life, propelling the spacecraft through the atmosphere and accelerating beyond 18,000 miles per hour.

According to the mission profile, the crew will execute a lunar flyby on Day 6, reaching their maximum distance from Earth before beginning the return trajectory. Using a carefully calculated gravitational assist from both the Moon and Earth, they will complete the journey in approximately ten days.

When I first wrote about the Artemis program, the goal was to return humans to the Moon by 2024- to explore the surface, develop sustainable technologies, and ultimately set the stage for missions to Mars. While the timeline has clearly slipped, this moment still represents meaningful progress. It’s a milestone worth recognizing- one that not only rekindles a sense of exploration, but also lays the groundwork for even greater achievements ahead.