Program Context

What Artemis is trying to build beyond a single Moon mission.

Artemis is NASA's long-term lunar exploration program, designed to move from test flights to sustained missions, international partnerships, and the infrastructure needed for later Mars preparation.

Why Artemis exists

Artemis is meant to re-establish human deep-space capability with repeatable systems rather than one-off flagship moments. The program links launch vehicles, spacecraft, lunar surface systems, and partner participation into a durable architecture.

Where Artemis II fits

Artemis II is the first crewed systems validation flight. It sits between the uncrewed Artemis I test and the landing ambitions of Artemis III, proving Orion, SLS, and mission operations with astronauts onboard.

What comes next

Later Artemis missions expand toward lunar surface operations, Gateway integration, and a cadence of exploration that can support science, engineering maturity, and broader cislunar infrastructure.