NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen recently embarked on a T-38 training flight from Ellington Field on Feb. 11, 2026. The mission, known as Artemis II, includes Koch, Hansen, Reid Wiseman, and Victor Glover — aiming to be the first crewed flight of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. The primary goal is to test Orion’s systems and capabilities by flying around the Moon before returning for a splashdown off the California coast.
Artemis II aligns with NASA’s vision for a Golden Age of innovation and exploration, marking the initial step towards new U.S. crewed missions on the lunar surface. This mission is crucial as it lays the groundwork for sending the first astronauts to Mars in the future.
Image credit: NASA/Brendan Finnegan
Original Source: NASA