Artemis II follows years of planning at NASA.

No Americans have landed on the Moon since 1972, and NASA's Artemis program — including Artemis II — represents years of work aimed at returning humans to the lunar surface, with a crewed lunar landing goal moved to 2028.

Artemis II reflects years of work by NASA to return people to the Moon. No American has walked on the lunar surface since 1972, the end of the Apollo missions. The Artemis program aims to send astronauts to the Moon's south pole and to land the first woman there. The program has involved major commercial partners and has faced delays, with a lunar landing goal moved to 2028. Key details: - No Americans have landed on the Moon since 1972, the final year of the Apollo missions. - The Artemis program aims to return humans to the lunar south pole and to land the first woman on the Moon. - Charlie Blackwell-Thompson is NASA's first female launch director, and the program has a strong presence of women in leadership roles. - NASA contracted with SpaceX in 2021 to develop a Starship variant for Artemis III, and with Blue Origin in 2023 for another lunar lander. - Artemis has faced delays since 2024, and the goal for a crewed lunar landing was moved to 2028. Summary: Artemis II is part of a multi-mission plan that has developed over several years and relies on commercial partnerships and program leadership to advance lunar goals. The next major milestone is the planned crewed lunar landing under Artemis III, with the landing goal currently moved to 2028.