The Planetary Society Celebrates Artemis II, Humanity's First Crewed Journey to Lunar Distance in Over 50 Years

Pasadena, CA (April 1, 2026) — The Planetary Society, the world's largest space advocacy organization, has issued the following statements ahead of the historic launch of NASA's Artemis II — humanity's first crewed mission beyond low-Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. The mission will send four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon, testing the systems needed for a future lunar landing and, ultimately, human missions to Mars.

"For the first time in more than 50 years, human beings are about to travel beyond low-Earth orbit — and the world gets to watch it happen. The Planetary Society, and our members in more than 100 countries around the world, could not be more proud or more excited to witness this moment.

This crew carries the scientific ambitions of a generation. The data Artemis II returns — on deep space radiation, human health beyond low-Earth orbit, and the geology of the Moon's far side — will protect every crew that follows them into deep space. Science is the reason this mission is worth doing, and science is what will endure long after the splashdown.

In Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen — which includes the first woman, first person of color, and first non-American to travel to lunar distance — we see what the future of exploration looks like. We are proud of this crew, proud of NASA, and proud of everyone who refused to stop pushing.”

From Bill Nye, Chief Ambassador of The Planetary Society:

“The launch of Artemis II will excite and inspire people everywhere on Earth. Just a few months ago, NASA was facing extinction-level budget cuts to dozens of science missions designed to explore the Solar System and beyond, but The Planetary Society pushed back. By leading the largest movement for space science in history — including a coalition of 20 science organizations with more than 100,000 people writing letters and emails, and more than 300 people showing up on Capitol Hill — NASA funding was reinstated and the cuts were cancelled. The Artemis II mission reminds us all — no matter our age, political party, or background, the drive to explore is deep within us. NASA's budget is a tiny fraction of federal spending, but it inspires generations of explorers. We're going back to the Moon!”

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Interviews with Planetary Society spokespeople are available upon request. Please arrange with Danielle Gunn, chief communications officer, at [email protected]

Article: The Artemis II mission: What to expect (Live updates)