Artemis II had a successful launch into space on April 1, 2026, for its 10-day mission to orbit the moon. Astronomy fans watched the liftoff right from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida or from the comfort of their homes while NASA streamed the historical launch. After completing their lunar flyby, the astronauts are now on their way back to Earth, marking the final phase of the roughly 10-day journey.
As the world continues to follow every step of the mission, all eyes are on the spacecraft’s return and upcoming splashdown. So, where exactly is Artemis II now?
Hollywood Life is keeping you updated on NASA’s 2026 moon mission and Artemis II here.
How Long Does it Take to Get to the Moon?
It can take a minimum of three days to reach the moon, according to NASA.
When Will Artemis 2 Get to the Moon?
Artemis II reached the Moon roughly midway through its 10-day mission, completing its lunar flyby around day six after launching on April 1, 2026.
The spacecraft did not enter orbit but instead traveled around the Moon in a wide arc before beginning its return journey to Earth.
Where Is Artemis 2 Now? How to Use the Tracker
Artemis II is currently on its return journey to Earth after completing its lunar flyby. At the time of publication, the Orion spacecraft is about 189,000 miles from Earth and roughly 94,000 miles from the Moon, placing it deep in cislunar space as it heads home.
Space enthusiasts can use NASA’s Artemis II tracker, which provides live updates on the Orion’s distance between Earth and the moon, a full mission view and more.
Who Are the Astronauts in the Artemis 2 Crew?
Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen are part of the Artemis II crew.
Glover and Koch, specifically, are making history in space travel. Koch is becoming the first woman to travel near the moon, and Glover is the first Black man to do so. However, Koch and Glover have made it a point to downplay their individual roles and emphasize the Artemis II crew’s collective significance.
“It’s not about celebrating any one individual,” Koch pointed out during the crew’s final press conference before the April 1 launch. “If there’s something to celebrate, it’s that we are at a time when anyone who has a dream gets to work equally hard to achieve that dream. If we’re not going for all and by all, we’re not truly answering all of humanity’s call to explore.”
Glover made a similar remark, saying, “I live in this dichotomy between happiness that a young woman can look at Christina and just physicalize her passion or her interests … that young brown boys and girls can look at me and go, ‘Hey, he looks like me, and he’s doing what?’ And that’s great. I love that.”
“But I also hope we are pushing the other direction, that one day we don’t have to talk about these firsts, that one day this is human history, the story of humanity, not Black history, not women’s history,” Glover added.
