NASA Releases Artemis II Image and Video Recap: Key Mission Milestones

Summary: On April 22, 2026, NASA released a comprehensive image and video recap of the Artemis II mission, documenting the Orion spacecraft's journey from its April 1 launch through its translunar injection trajectory. As the first crewed flight of NASA's Artemis program, the mission successfully concluded with a splashdown on April 11, marking a significant milestone in humanity's return to lunar exploration.

Credit: NASA (Public Domain)

Mission Overview

Artemis II launched on April 1, 2026, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, carrying four astronauts — Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen — on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon. This marked the first time humans traveled beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972, representing a pivotal step in NASA's Artemis program to return humans to the lunar surface.

NASA's newly released recap covers the following mission phases:

• Pre-Launch Preparation: Countdown operations and launch pad activities
• Launch Moment: SLS rocket ignition and liftoff
• Journey to the Moon: Orion spacecraft and Translunar Injection (TLI)
• Mission Highlights: Astronaut activities including scientific experiments and daily life aboard Orion

Artemis II Mission Summary

Artemis III Progress

Meanwhile, preparations for Artemis III are advancing steadily. NASA rolled out the SLS Core Stage to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on April 20, preparing for final assembly ahead of the 2027 crewed lunar landing mission. Artemis III will deliver the first woman and first person of color to the lunar south pole.

Sources (Original Articles)

• Artemis II Mission Milestones: An Image and Video Recap - NASA
• NASA Artemis II Mission Page