NASA Announces the Date When Humans Will Begin Exploring the Moon

Metaverse Planet October 11, 2025Last Updated: November 3, 2025

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NASA is preparing to launch a crewed mission to the Moon after a 50-year gap. With the Artemis II mission, four astronauts will embark on a 10-day exploration flight around the lunar orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft.

NASA has announced the expected date for the Artemis II mission, which symbolizes humanity’s return to the Moon. According to the agency’s announcement, a crew of four astronauts will be sent to lunar orbit on a 10-day crewed flight. This mission represents the second phase of the Artemis program, following the successfully completed uncrewed Artemis I test in 2022.

Return to the Moon after 50 Years The Artemis II mission will carry humans around the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. The Orion spacecraft to be used in the mission was extensively tested during Artemis I. Now, the same route will be followed, but this time with a crewed flight. NASA defines the main objective of the mission as “studying the effects on human health during long-duration space travel.” In this context, astronauts will undergo comprehensive medical tests before the mission and after their return. Blood samples will be taken to evaluate the effects of zero gravity, radiation, and prolonged life in a closed system on the human body. NASA states that the results obtained will guide the path for Artemis III, planned for 2027. The Artemis III mission will enable humanity’s return to the lunar surface. The Artemis II mission crew forms one of the most diverse astronaut rosters that NASA has long been working on:

Commander Reid Wiseman, served as a captain in the US Navy and participated in International Space Station Expedition 41.
Pilot Victor Glover, is recognized as one of the first crew members to fly the Dragon capsule into orbit with the SpaceX Crew-1 mission.
Mission Specialist Christina Koch, holds the record for the “longest single spaceflight by a female astronaut” at 328 days and was part of the team for the “first all-female spacewalk.”
Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, is the first astronaut instructor selected from the Canadian Space Agency and will make history as the first Canadian to travel to the Moon.

According to NASA officials, Artemis II is not just a test flight; it is also a “biological pre-exploration” that will form the foundation for future crewed missions to Mars. The health data obtained during the mission are critically important for understanding how the human body reacts to prolonged radiation and microgravity conditions. As you know, since the Moonwalk carried out with Apollo 17 50 years ago, only robotic vehicles have reached the lunar surface. Artemis II symbolizes the end of this silent period and the advancement of humanity back onto the path of returning to the Moon.