“It gives me something to hope for,” said Walker Schumman, Chief Engineer of the Keweenaw Propulsion Laboratory of the Aeronautics and Rocketry Enterprise (AERE) at MTU. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is preparing to launch Artemis II, a 10-day crewed mission that will send four astronauts around the Moon for the first time since 1972, with liftoff targeted for early March from Kennedy Space Center in Florida as part of the agency’s broader effort to return humans to deep space and establish a long-term lunar presence.
The Artemis II will carry NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, aboard NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. “It’s the prime directive,” said Schumann, “In space there are no borders, the hope is that we’ll realize some of these loyalties to certain groups and how far that’s not going to get us.” The mission marks the first crewed flight of the Artemis program and is designed to verify spacecraft systems, crew readiness, and emergency capabilities in deep space before future lunar landing missions.
After launch, Orion is scheduled to orbit Earth twice before executing a translunar burn that sends the spacecraft toward the Moon. The crew will conduct a lunar flyby, circle the Moon once, and travel farther from Earth than any previous human mission before returning for a Pacific Ocean splashdown near California. During the flight, Orion will pass behind the Moon, temporarily interrupting communications with mission control.
NASA identifies Artemis II as a systems demonstration mission intended to validate life support, navigation, communications, and operational performance in deep space. The flight will also collect data to inform future missions, including Artemis III, which aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface.
The launch window opens in early March following delays caused by a liquid hydrogen leak discovered during preflight testing. NASA has identified additional spring launch opportunities based on orbital alignment between Earth and the Moon.
NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston will oversee mission operations, with flight controllers guiding the spacecraft throughout the journey. Astronaut training, preparation, and quarantine activities are coordinated through the facility, continuing its historic role in American human spaceflight programs.
The Space Launch System rocket, standing about 32 stories tall, generates nearly 9 million pounds of thrust, making it the most powerful rocket NASA has developed. As stages separate during ascent, Orion will carry the crew through lunar space. The capsule includes life-support systems, exercise equipment, medical supplies, and partially reusable components designed for future missions.
“The goal is that it’s collaborative,” Schumann said, “Because the alternative is a bigger battlefield, and that can’t be the thing we push for.” Artemis II represents key milestones in astronaut participation, including the first female, African-American, and Canadian astronauts to travel around the Moon. NASA views the mission as a bridge between past lunar exploration and the next phase of sustained human activity beyond Earth.
