Program Context
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.
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.
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.
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.