Humanity has ventured back to the lunar frontier for the first time in over half a century. On April 1, 2026, the Artemis II mission successfully carried a four-person crew to the far side of the Moon, breaking the deep space exploration distance record and ending the 54-year hiatus from space exploration. This mission carried many firsts and many powerful, emotional moments, for not only the crew, but also many of the citizens on Earth as well.
Artemis II was a nine-day mission that happened just last month from April 1-10, 2026. The Orion spacecraft launched April 1 from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, Launch Complex 39B carrying the 4-member crew. The crew consisted of Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen.
The Orion spacecraft carried in space exploration, such as some of “firsts”, the first woman, Christina Koch, the first person of color, Victor Glover, and the first non-Americas, Jeremy Hansen, beyond the orbit of the Earth.
Artemis II is not just one stand-alone mission, it is only part 2 in a series of five increasingly difficult missions with the national goal of landing American astronauts on the surface of the Moon and maintaining. us superiority in exploration and discovery.” (Artemis).
The Artemis II crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 10, 2026 completing the mission in only nine days.
Journeying alongside the Artemis Il crew was van’s plush Moon named “Rise”. Rise was designed by Lucas Ye of Mountain View, California, selected from over 2,600 submissions from over 50 countries around the world.
Rise is a zero gravity indicator (ZGI) which is typically a small plush toy that rides with the crew to visually indicate when they have reached space. Rise had become a fan favorite for people following the mission on social media due to interactions with the plushie during interviews
Additionally, there was another viral moment that happened during the Artemis II mission. The crew identified a lunar impact crater, and on April 6 just 5 days after the beginning of the mission, the Artemis Il crew unofficially named the crater “Carroll” in honor of Carroll Taylor Wiseman, the late wife of Commander Reid Wiseman, who passed away in 2020. This was not only a powerful moment for the crew, but the people back on Earth as well.
The Artemis Il mission is not just a stand-alone lunar flyby, but only step two in a plan leading to more scientific findings, economic benefits, and building a foundation for the first crewed mission to Mars.
