NASA is taking the next step toward returning humans to the Moon with the Artemis II mission. Sometime during the first week of April 2026, the Orion spacecraft will carry four astronauts on a journey around the Moon before returning safely to Earth. The flight will test Orion and its systems for future missions that aim to land astronauts on the lunar surface again. The last time astronauts walked on the Moon was during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.