Artemis II Trajectory

  • Released Tuesday, January 27, 2026
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Nominal trajectory of NASA’s Artemis II mission, from Earth orbit around the Moon and back to Earth. The actual trajectory may vary slightly depending on the final launch timing.

Artemis II will launch four astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft into Earth orbit, then send them on a loop around the Moon before returning safely to Earth. The mission follows a free-return trajectory that uses the gravity of the Earth and Moon to naturally guide the crew home.

This visualization shows a nominal trajectory for Artemis II. The actual trajectory may vary slightly depending on the final launch timing.

Moon-fixed view of the nominal Artemis II trajectory as it passes the far side of the Moon. The actual trajectory may vary slightly depending on the final launch timing.

Close-up Moon-fixed view of the nominal Artemis II trajectory near closest approach. The actual trajectory may vary slightly depending on the final launch timing.

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This page was originally published on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.
This page was last updated on Tuesday, January 27, 2026 at 7:01 PM EST.