Artemis Program Update Blog #1: NASA Announces Artemis II Crew
The recently announced Artemis II crew.
On November 16 last year, at 1:47 AM, Artemis I’s rocket assembly blasted off from Merritt Island, Florida, on its way to our nearest cosmic neighbor, the Moon. The uncrewed mission’s primary goal was to assess the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield upon atmospheric reentry, a test the capsule passed with flying colors after its splashdown 25 days later. The mission was a certified success, but only the first step for the Artemis Program’s ambitious plans. Artemis II will send a crewed mission to lunar orbit, followed by Artemis III, IV, and V landing on the Moon, with the intention of eventually building a permanent settlement on the surface.
The program has a long timetable, one that is likely to expand, with Artemis II, III, IV, and V currently slotted for 2024, 2025, 2028, and 2029, respectively. These will be the first Moon missions since Apollo 17 in 1972, an absence of five decades that will soon come to an end. To chronicle this return to the Moon, Mini Museum is excited to bring you the Artemis Program Blog which will share updates and stories from Artemis as they roll out.
Artemis II mission map.
This past Monday on April 3, NASA announced the crew members for Artemis II: Mission Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Jeremy Hansen and Christina Hammock Koch. Glover will be the first person of color on such a mission, Koch the first woman, and Hansen the first Canadian, as part of NASA’s collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency. The four are slotted to blast off from the Kennedy Space Center in November of next year–during their mission the astronauts will assess life support and other functions aboard the Orion in preparation for Artemis III’s landing on the Moon.
The announcement of the Artemis II crew follows other exciting updates from the program–last month, NASA unveiled a new generation of spacesuits to be worn during Artemis III, designed by Axiom Space, one of the agency's private sector collaborators. Unfortunately, it has not been all good news coming out of Artemis–NASA Inspector General Paul K. Martin recently testified to a Congressional house subcommittee that testing the suit and other equipment will probably push Artemis III’s launch date into 2026, a year later than planned. With other delays already having hindered Artemis I, concern is growing over the launch schedule for the other missions.
When exactly the Artemis missions will launch remains fluid, but its goals remain concrete: a return to the Moon, laying the groundwork for a permanent base on its surface. As the program anticipates staggering hurdles and moments of triumph, Mini Museum hopes to be your guide to humanity’s return to the lunar surface. Check back here to learn more about the Artemis Program.
Featured Product
Salyut 7 Space Station
Latest News
-
Jul 17, 2025 Building Disneyland Read More -
Jul 10, 2025 Neolithic Vegetarians: Learn About the Wooden Tools Used by Early Humans! Read More -
Jul 04, 2025 Viking for a Day: Researchers Recreate Viking Voyages! Read More -
Jun 30, 2025 When the Sky Split in Two: The Tunguska Event Read More -
Jun 27, 2025 The Vera C. Rubin Observatory Releases its First Photos! Read More -
Jun 19, 2025 Snakestones, Shaligrams, Ammonites, Oh My! All About Ammonites Read More
Cool Things!
Neolithic Vegetarians: Learn About the Wooden Tools Used by Early Humans!
When you think of the Stone Age, scenes of Neanderthals chasing down great beasts of old for food and furs might come to mind. Many studies have shown the invention and development of stone tools were essential to early humans’ efforts to hunt animals, but according to a recent study, that perspective may have an overbearing presence in the perception of the Stone Age.
Viking for a Day: Researchers Recreate Viking Voyages!
For one student at Lund University in Sweden, reading studies and collecting archaeological evidence wasn’t enough to grasp the full picture of an awe-inspiring people of the Nordic region: The Vikings. In a new study, a team of researchers set out to learn more about these nomads of legend by setting off on their own voyage of the seas, complete with historically accurate ships!
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory Releases its First Photos!
The dazzling images in this article are some of the first to be released by scientists using equipment at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in the Elqui Province of Chile. However, these images represent just the tip of the iceberg for the new facility.
Specimen Deep Dives
Building Disneyland
When the Sky Split in Two: The Tunguska Event
Returning to the Moon: The Apollo 14 Mission
Long Form Articles
The Artist Behind the Macintosh: Susan Kare and Apple Computers
While the two Steves, Jobs and Wozniak, are the most well known faces behind Apple computers, equally important to the products and culture of the company were those who crafted the experience of using their computers through design. The most notable of these visual architects was Susan Kare, a designer responsible for “humanizing” Macintosh computers.
Can I Lick It? Yes You Can!
Have you ever been unable to tell if a fossil was really a fossil, but you were too embarrassed to admit it? Have you ever wanted to lick a fossil just because, but you didn’t want to risk judgment from your peers? Well, good news! You can kill two birds with one stone! Licking a fossil can actually help you determine if it’s the real deal or just another rock.
Is It Legal To Own a Meteorite: How to Start Your Outer Space Collection!
Meteorites are some of the rarest geological specimens to be found on Earth. Of course, since these stones are not of our world, purchasing them can sometimes be a confusing process. Is it legal to own a meteorite? In short, yes! Read on for help starting your cosmic collection!