How long was Artemis II? Mission time and timeline
Artemis II lasted 9 days, 1 hour, 32 minutes and 15 seconds. NASA's Orion spacecraft launched from Kennedy Space Center at 6:35 p.m. EDT on April 1, 2026 and splashed down in the Pacific off California at 8:07 p.m. EDT on April 10, 2026. Where is Artemis II now? The mission is over: its four astronauts have been back on Earth since that splashdown.
Artemis II timeline
| Event | Eastern time | UTC |
|---|---|---|
| Launch on the SLS rocket, Kennedy Space Center, Florida | Apr 1, 2026, 6:35 p.m. EDT | Apr 1, 22:35 |
| Farthest point from Earth, behind the Moon (about 7-hour far-side flyby) | Apr 6, 2026 | Apr 6 |
| Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off California | Apr 10, 2026, 8:07:27 p.m. EDT | Apr 11, 00:07:27 |
Mission elapsed time, the clock NASA starts at zero at liftoff, read 9 days 1 hour 32 minutes 15 seconds at splashdown: about 217.5 hours. Read more about mission clocks in how NASA keeps time.
Time since splashdown
The crew
- Reid Wiseman (NASA), commander
- Victor Glover (NASA), pilot
- Christina Koch (NASA), mission specialist
- Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency), mission specialist
Records and firsts
- Farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth: about 252,760 miles (406,770 km), reached on April 6, 2026. That beat Apollo 13's 248,655 miles (400,171 km) from 1970. The record is pending ratification by the FAI, the world air sports federation that certifies spaceflight records. See other records.
- First crewed flight around the Moon since 1972, when Apollo 17 flew.
- The crew traveled about 694,481 miles (1,117,658 km) in total.
- From behind the Moon, the crew watched a solar eclipse lasting almost an hour.
How long does it take to get to the Moon?
Artemis II reached its farthest point about five days after launch, on a looping "free-return" path around the Moon. Apollo crews took about three days to reach lunar orbit. Our how long to get to the Moon calculator compares travel times by plane, car, rocket and light, which covers the distance in about 1.3 seconds.
Questions people ask
How long was the Artemis II mission?
9 days, 1 hour, 32 minutes and 15 seconds, from launch on April 1, 2026 to splashdown on April 10, 2026.
Where is Artemis 2 now?
The mission has ended. Orion splashed down in the Pacific off California on April 10, 2026, and the four astronauts returned home.
When did Artemis II launch?
April 1, 2026, at 6:35 p.m. EDT (22:35 UTC) from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Did Artemis II land on the Moon?
No. It was a crewed flight around the Moon and back, testing Orion with people on board before later Artemis landing missions.
How far did Artemis II go?
About 252,760 miles (406,770 km) from Earth on April 6, 2026, the farthest any humans have traveled. The record is pending FAI ratification.
Sources
- NASA: Artemis II launch
- SpacePolicyOnline: Artemis II is back on Earth (mission elapsed time, records)
- FAI: Artemis II distance record pending ratification
Last updated October 22, 2026. Found an error? Tell us.