Four astronauts are back in isolation ahead of a potential April launch of NASA’s Artemis 2 mission, a historic 10-day lunar voyage that would mark the first human Moon mission since the Apollo era. NASA initiated the quarantine period as it prepares to roll its 322-foot Space Launch System rocket back to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
It is the third time the crew has entered quarantine. A series of technical setbacks, including a hydrogen fuel leak that scrapped a potential February launch and a helium leak that ruled out March, pushed the mission back repeatedly. With those issues now resolved, NASA is targeting launch windows in April, with available dates on April 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 30th. The agency had set a deadline to launch before the end of April 2026.
Launch windows are dictated in part by the Moon’s orbit, creating roughly one week at the start of each month where conditions align, followed by about three weeks with no viable opportunities.
Who Are The Crewmembers?
Reid Wiseman – Commander
Reid Wiseman is a 27-year US Navy veteran, pilot and engineer who lives in Baltimore, Maryland. He was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2009 and has previous spaceflight experience, having served as a Flight Engineer aboard the International Space Station during Expedition 41 in 2014. As commander of Artemis 2, he will lead the crew through the mission.
Victor Glover – Pilot
Victor Glover was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013 and previously served as the pilot of SpaceX Crew-1. Born in California, he holds three master’s degrees and is married with four children. On Artemis 2, he will serve as pilot, responsible for flying the Orion crew capsule during the lunar flyby.
Christina Koch – Mission Specialist
Christina Koch grew up in Michigan and became a NASA astronaut in 2013. She is already a record-holder, during her time aboard the International Space Station in 2019, she set the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman. She also participated in the first all-female spacewalk. On Artemis 2, she serves as a mission specialist.
Jeremy Hansen – Mission Specialist
Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency brings a background as a fighter pilot before joining the agency in 2009. He became the first Canadian to lead astronaut training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. His Artemis 2 role as mission specialist will make him the first Canadian ever to travel to the Moon, a milestone for Canada.
What Comes Next
Once the SLS rocket returns to the launch pad and final preparations are complete, the four crew members will board the Orion capsule and ride it to orbit, beginning a journey that will take them around the Moon and back. No humans have traveled that far from Earth since the final Apollo mission in 1972.
