Artemis II is NASA's first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. Four astronauts will fly the Orion spacecraft on a free-return trajectory around the Moon, coming within 80 miles of the surface before returning to Earth. The mission validates every system before a crewed lunar landing on Artemis III.
This document covers the full picture: the history of spaceflight, the engineering of the Space Launch System and Orion, orbital mechanics, crew experience, and what this mission means for the decades ahead. Fifteen parts, written to be read straight through or by section.