After two major delays, NASA made history on April 1 andlaunched a crew of four astronautson a 10-day expedition around the moon and back.
The Artemis II mission, which is the second under NASA's multibillion-dollar moon program, is a major milestone for the space agency — marking the first crewed deep-space flight in over 50 years. Artemis II crew members are expected to travel "farther from Earth than any previous human mission," according to NASA.
The expedition will send the crew about 252,000 miles into space, which may break the record set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970, when it was roughly 248,000 miles from Earth,USA TODAY previously reported.
Artemis II and it's crew of four lift off from Kennedy Space Center April 1, 2026 on a 10-day mission around the Moon and back. Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
People set cameras to photograph NASA's Artemis II lunar flyby mission, with the next-generation moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion crew capsule, on Pad 39B ahead of the launch of the Artemis II mission at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., March 31, 2026. The rocket is scheduled for an April 1, 2026, 6:24 p.m. launch of the 10-day mission." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
The countdown clock runs as NASA's Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft sit on Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center on April 1, 2026 in Cape Canaveral, Fla. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Photographers set up remote cameras inside Pad 39B March 31, 2026 in advance of the launch of Artemis II." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
The Highland Mint in Melbourne, Fla. has minted an Artemis II collector coin." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
NASA's Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft rest on Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on March 31, 2026, ahead of the crewed lunar mission." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> See the moment Artemis II lifts off for historic moon mission
Artemis IIand it's crew of four lift off from Kennedy Space Center April 1, 2026 on a 10-day mission around the Moon and back. Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK
"This milestone will occur during the lunar flyby phase, when the crew travels on a free-return trajectory around the Moon, which allows the spacecraft to loop around the Moon and return to Earth without entering lunar orbit," NASA said.
While the crew will not land on the moon, NASA said the lunar flyby mission is designed to test life support systems and critical operations, paving the way for future moon landingsand Mars exploration. The mission is expected to last about 10 days, with the crew reaching the moon's vicinity around day five or six before returning to Earth for splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
Here is a timeline of the Artemis II journey:
Launch day
Four astronauts — including the first Black man, first woman, and first Canadian — lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, one of the largest and most powerful rockets the agency has ever flown.
Following liftoff, the Orion crew capsule will separate from the rocket's upper stage and enter a highly elliptical orbit around Earth.
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Earth orbit
During the first one to two days on the mission, the crew will be in a high Earth orbit and conduct systems checks, such as testing the Orion capsule's life-support, propulsion, navigation, and communications systems to ensure the spacecraft is ready to travel into deep space.
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Translunar injection
After the systems checks are complete, the Orion will perform its "translunar injection burn" on day two, according to the Scientific American. The translunar injection involves firing Orion's main engine, which increases the spacecraft's velocity to send it out of Earth orbit and toward the moon.
On days three to four, the crew will continue to monitor spacecraft systems as they approach the moon's vicinity. Mission controllers will track communications and navigation performance.
The Space Launch System rocket Artemis II begins its journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Pad 39B March 19, 2026. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Inside NASA's Artemis mission to the moon
Moon flyby
On day five, the Orion will enter the lunar sphere of influence, "marking the point at which the pull of the Moon's gravity will become stronger than the pull of the Earth's gravity," according to NASA.
"As they enter the Moon's neighborhood, the crew will have a full day, with the morning almost entirely devoted to tests of their spacesuits," the agency said. "As the first astronauts to wear the new suits in space, the Artemis II crew will be testing their ability to quickly put the suits on and pressurize them; install their seats and get into them while wearing the suits; eat and drink through a port on the spacesuits' helmet; and other functions."
On day six, the crew will come their closest to the Moon and reach the greatest distance from Earth during this phase, according to NASA.
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Return to Earth and splashdown
After the lunar flyby, the crew will spend several days heading back to Earth while continuing to conduct deep-space tests, including evaluations of power systems, thermal controls, and crew operations far beyond low Earth orbit.
As the Orion approaches Earth, it will separate key components before plunging into the atmosphere at speeds of about 25,000 miles per hour. One of the mission's primary objectives is to test the capsule's heat shield during re-entry, which had partially cracked and charred away during the Artemis I mission in 2022,reported Florida Today, part of the USA TODAY Network.
The spacecraft is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean, where recovery teams will retrieve the crew.
Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY; Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:When will Artemis II reach the moon? Timeline of NASA mission