Artemis II: How long will it take to get to the moon?

For the first time in over five decades, humans are on the brink of returning to the moon — not to land, but to fly around it. The Artemis II mission, set for a launch window in early April 2026, will carry four astronauts on a 10-day journey that could redefine humanity’s future in space. Unlike the Apollo missions of the 1970s, this mission is driven not just by exploration, but by geopolitical competition, the promise of lunar resources like water and rare metals, and the ambition to establish a permanent human presence beyond Earth. The journey itself is a high-stakes ballet of engineering precision: a 3-day transit to the moon, a 3-hour flyby of the far side where communication with Earth will be lost for up to 50 minutes, and a harrowing re-entry where the crew module will endure temperatures half as hot as the sun’s surface. What makes this mission truly historic is its crew — the first woman, first Black astronaut, and first Canadian to travel to the moon — each bringing personal stories of resilience, loss, and legacy. Their training included 'Artemis sleepovers' to test teamwork under extreme isolation, underscoring that success isn’t just about technical skill, but emotional and psychological endurance. This mission isn’t just about reaching the moon — it’s about proving that space is no longer the domain of a few, but a shared frontier for all of humanity.