Artemis II is ready to launch from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center
Launch is at 6:24 p.m. EDT, April 1, 2026
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — In April 1981 my family travelled to Florida where we visited Kennedy Space Center and eagerly waited to watch the launch of the space shuttle Columbia. The mission got scrubbed T-9 minutes! At the age of 10, it was my first visit to the space center and it was a great experience to see a space shuttle on the launch pad. Though we missed it, the Columbia ended up launching two days later. I wish I could say that that visit sparked a life-long love of space exploration, but that just wasn’t my path. Of course, as a kid, in 1977 I fell in love with Star Wars and later became a Trekkie (I prefer the term “Star Trek fan”).
I certainly remember the day when the Challenger blew up. Sadly, the impact of the Columbia explosion isn’t as engrained in my memories.
As a history buff, I’ve followed the history of the space program and I appreciate its benefit to our modern technology-driven society.
Since 1981 I have visited Kennedy Space Center three more times. The most recent was Monday, March 30, when I took my family. Visiting with your pre-teen children and seeing their eyes sparkling with inspiration makes the trip worth it. Our family visited last winter as well.
But, this time was different. This time was two days before the launch of the historic flight of Artemis II, the first manned lunar mission since 1972. Apollo 17 launched on Dec. 11, 1972 when I was 2-years-old.
In case you haven’t been watching the news, this is a really big deal. In 2017, President Donald Trump signed Space Policy Directive-1, shifting NASA’s focus back to human Moon missions, followed by a 2019 directive to land humans on the Moon. That led directly to the creation and naming of the Artemis program.
Standing at Kennedy Space Center earlier this week with my family, it was impossible not to think about how far space exploration has come — and where it is headed.
The Artemis program represents NASA’s first human return to the Moon since Apollo 17, which ended the Apollo era more than 50 years ago. That mission remains the last time humans walked on the lunar surface.
Artemis II is sending four astronauts on a mission around the Moon and back to Earth, testing the systems that will eventually land astronauts on the lunar surface once again.
NASA’s long-term goal is to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon and use it as a proving ground for future missions to Mars.
Presidential direction shaped the program
The current push to return to the Moon is the result of decades of evolving policy.
During the administration of Barack Obama, NASA emphasized deep space exploration and continued development of key hardware, including the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket.
That direction shifted in 2017 when Trump signed Space Policy Directive-1, refocusing NASA on the Moon.
The program has continued under Joe Biden, whose administration has maintained funding and long-term goals, including eventual human missions to Mars.
A global effort
Unlike the Apollo era, Artemis is an international program.
NASA is working with partners including Canada, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Europe, and Japan. Artemis II will include a Canadian astronaut, marking the first time a non-American will travel to the Moon.
The Artemis Accords, signed by multiple nations, outline cooperation in lunar exploration, scientific research and future space development.
Official crew portrait for Artemis II, from left: NASA Astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen. NASA photo.
Artemis timeline
NASA is taking a phased approach:
- Artemis I (2022): Uncrewed test flight around the Moon
- Artemis II (2026): First crewed lunar flyby since Apollo
- Artemis III (mid-decade): Planned return of astronauts to the lunar surface
- Artemis IV and beyond: Development of lunar infrastructure and long-term missions
NASA officials say the Moon will serve as a testing ground for eventual missions to Mars, possibly in the 2030s.
West Michigan connection
The mission also carries strong West Michigan ties.
As previously reported by Mason County Press, Grand Rapids native Christina Hammock Koch is part of the Artemis II crew and will become the first woman to travel to the Moon.
She follows in the footsteps of Roger B. Chaffee and Jack R. Lousma, both also from Grand Rapids.
(See related story: Grand Rapids astronaut to make history on Artemis II mission, March 30, 2026.)
Looking ahead
Watching preparations for Artemis II with my family brought everything full circle.
In 1981, I stood as a kid watching a space shuttle sit on the pad.
In 2026, I stood as a parent watching my children take in something even bigger — humanity preparing to return to the Moon.
Back then, the shuttle represented the future.
Today, Artemis does.
And this time, the goal isn’t just to visit.
It’s to stay — and eventually go even farther.
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