Nominal (reference) Artemis II mission trajectory

Released Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Last updated Thursday, February 12, 2026 at 2:26 PM EST

ID: 5610

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.

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. This is a 360-degree video (monoscopic), available in 8K (H.265 and ProRes) and 4K (H.265). See the embedded YouTube window below for an interactive version that allows you to change the view by clicking and dragging.