CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – 28 minutes after launch, NASA declared that Artemis II successfully reached space on the evening of April 1, 2026.
The SLS rocket began its journey from Earth at 6:35 p.m. on Wednesday in a stream of fiery water vapor. Tens of thousands of space enthusiasts gathered in backyards, on beaches, and on the coast of Florida near Cape Canaveral to watch.
Though the launch was picture perfect, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Cristina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen have another 10 days to go in the Space Launch System and the Orion spacecraft. The mission, which serves as one of three preparatory flights before Artemis IV’s moon landing, is humanity’s first trip to the moon in 53 years.
On the first day of the mission, the astronauts will orbit the Earth and run routine checks to ensure all parts of the spacecraft are working correctly. Days two through five will propel the SLS to the moon, covering a distance of approximately 244,000 miles. On day six, the Orion spacecraft will make a U-turn 5,000 miles around the moon.
On the return mission, days six through nine will bring the astronauts home in what’s known as a free return trajectory, and Wiseman, Koch, Glover, and Hansen will achieve reentry into Earth’s atmosphere sometime on April 10, 2026.
Residents of Southern Maryland, from those with ties to NASA to regular space enthusiasts, are ecstatic about the perfect launch.
“I probably won’t be here when mankind finally leaves this solar system,” said Arjun Garg, a North Point High School senior and Sheffield resident. “Each step towards it makes me excited, nevertheless.”
This mission marks a number of historic landmarks for NASA and for the world. Artemis II will bring the first woman, African-American, and Canadian astronauts to the moon, and will bring humanity farther into deep space than we have ever been before.
“I feel proud to witness such a historical moment,” said Aubrey Quiambao, a Waldorf resident. “Not just for America, but for humanity as a whole.”