NASA confirms date that man will return to the Moon after 54 years
The US space agency confirmed on Tuesday that Artemis II, the first Moon mission since 1972, will launch on February 6
NASA has revealed that an American return to the Moon will take place in mere weeks - with Artemis II set to become the first craft to visit in over 50 years.
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The US space agency confirmed on Tuesday that Artemis II, the first Moon mission since 1972, will launch on February 6.
The 10-day journey will see NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen around the body before heading back to Earth.
While Artemis II will not land on the lunar surface, it will pave the way for the Artemis III launch in 2027 where man will set foot on the Moon for the first time in decades.
Artemis II is constrained by a narrow window due to the orbits of the Earth and Moon.
The launch will take place at the historic Kennedy Space Center in Florida, from which the first Apollo moon missions took off.
February 7, 8, 10, and 11 have been chosen as potential backup launch dates.
No craft with a human crew has left low-Earth orbit in 53 years.
The Artemis II mission will launch using an Orion spacecraft - carried by NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket system.
The crew will first orbit Earth to test life-support equipment by heading to the Moon for a lunar flyby.
It will then use the Moon's gravity to slingshot back to Earth.