Astronauts Near Moon For First Time Since 1969 in Spacecraft Built by Lockheed Martin
The Lockheed Martin-built Orion Spacecraft has successfully carried astronauts on the Artemis II mission to the moon for the first time in 53 years.
NASA’s Orion is currently on the 10-day mission, carrying the Artemis program’s first-ever crewed test flight on two orbits around Earth and past the far side of the moon.
The astronauts aboard Orion are:
- Victor Glover (NASA)
- Christina Koch (NASA)
- Reid Wiseman (NASA)
- Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency)
The mission is underway after a successful launch on April 1, 2026.
Throughout the mission, the crew has been performing system checkouts to ensure safety and test the Orion’s capability for deep space travel. This includes a proximity maneuvering demonstration.
The crew is also completing a free-return trajectory around the moon to do imaging and obtain data on human health as well as spacecraft performance in deep space.
The spacecraft and its crew is scheduled to return today, April 10, 2026, landing in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego after re-entering Earth’s atmosphere. The spacecraft will be traveling at 30 times the speed of sound upon re-entry, then slowing to less than 20 miles-per-hour before landing.
This mission’s Orion spacecraft Integrity features new systems like:
- Environmental control and life support systems
- Upgraded displays and controls
- Experimental laser communication system
- Launch Abort System
- Potable water and galley
- Waste management system and hygiene bay
- Exercise machine
President, Lockheed Martin Space, Robert Lightfoot said, "This historic moment marks a renewed journey to the Moon and a critical step toward future crewed landings."
VP and Orion Program Manager at Lockheed Martin Space Kirk Shireman said, "Our team has poured years of precision, problem solving and passion into building Orion and seeing it on its way to taking astronauts around the Moon in this test flight is incredible.”
Shireman added, "We are excited for this mission to prepare for future crewed flights, seeing humans go farther than we've gone before and proving the Moon is once again within our reach."