NASA Programs
Artemis Program
Return to the Moon with SLS, Orion, Gateway partners and commercial landers.
Artemis is NASA’s program to return astronauts to the Moon and establish a sustained presence there, with Mars as a longer-term horizon. It uses the Space Launch System (SLS), the Orion spacecraft, a planned lunar Gateway in partnership with international agencies, and commercially built human landing systems.
Artemis I launched on 16 November 2022: an uncrewed Orion flew around the Moon on the first SLS flight and splashed down on 11 December. Later Artemis missions are planned to fly crews around the Moon and then land, including the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface under NASA’s stated goals.
Artemis continues the Orion line that began under Constellation and pairs government heavy lift with commercial and international partners—an architecture different from Apollo’s all-government stack.
Milestones
- 2022-11-16Artemis I — SLS flies for the first time; uncrewed Orion completes a lunar mission and splashdown.
- OngoingArtemis II and beyond — Crewed lunar flyby and landing missions follow under NASA’s Artemis campaign.
Summary original to flyARIA.com. Photograph: NASA/Joel Kowsky. NASA images are generally not protected by copyright in the United States; credit does not imply endorsement.