NASA is getting ready for a new moon mission. It is called Artemis II. Astronauts will fly near the moon. No crew has done this in fifty years. NASA said early checks look good. The mission is on track for the future. Kids may watch this mission on TV one day.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2026
WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2026
NASA says its next moon mission is on track. The mission is called Artemis II. It will send astronauts flying around the moon. No crew has flown this close to the moon in fifty years. NASA finished early checks on the plan. Officials say the checks look good so far. The Artemis program wants to send astronauts back to the moon's surface. Later missions may even help prepare trips to Mars. Space fans are excited to watch this program grow.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2026
NASA announced this week that it remains on track for upcoming missions after completing initial assessments related to Artemis II. Artemis II is planned as NASA's first crewed mission to fly by the moon in roughly fifty years. The mission would send a crew of astronauts around the moon without landing, testing systems needed for future lunar missions. NASA officials said the early assessments showed the spacecraft and mission plans are proceeding as expected. The Artemis program is NASA's broader effort to return astronauts to the lunar surface. The last crewed moon landing took place during the Apollo program, which ended in the 1970s. Artemis II follows the uncrewed Artemis I mission, which tested key systems without astronauts aboard. If Artemis II succeeds, it would pave the way for Artemis III, which aims to land astronauts on the moon. NASA has described the Artemis program as a step toward eventual human missions to Mars. Space agencies and private companies have partnered with NASA on various parts of the program. The missions rely on new spacecraft, including the Orion capsule and the Space Launch System rocket. Officials have not announced an exact launch date for Artemis II in this update. NASA said additional testing and reviews will continue in the coming months. Space enthusiasts and scientists alike are watching the program's progress closely. A successful Artemis II mission would mark the first time humans have traveled beyond low Earth orbit in decades. The mission carries symbolic weight as a step toward renewed lunar exploration.
Sources: NASA, 'NASA on Track for Future Missions with Initial Artemis II Assessments,' https://www.nasa.gov/missions/nasa-on-track-for-future-missions-with-initial-artemis-ii-assessments/; NASA, 'NASA on Track for Future Missions with Initial Artemis II Assessments,' https://www.nasa.gov/missions/nasa-on-track-for-future-missions-with-initial-artemis-ii-assessments/ ; NASA, 'Artemis II News and Updates,' https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-ii-news-and-updates/
Published in Tuesday, August 25, 2026 edition.