TARLAKENYO (April 2, 2026) — For the first time in over half a century, humans are once again bound for the lunar neighborhood.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the most powerful in the world, roared to life at the Kennedy Space Center, successfully carrying the Artemis II crew into space on Wednesday evening, April 1, 2024 (US Eastern Time).
For observers in the Philippines, the historic liftoff occurred at exactly 6:35 AM PhST on Thursday, April 2, 2026.
The 10-day mission is a pivotal flight test that aims to prove the Orion spacecraft’s life-support systems can sustain a crew in deep space. While the four astronauts will not land on the lunar surface during this trip, they will perform a “free-return” flyby, swinging around the far side of the Moon before using lunar gravity to slingshot back toward Earth.
The mission is commanded by Reid Wiseman, joined by pilot Victor Glover and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. The flight marks several major milestones in space exploration:
- Victor Glover is the first person of color to leave Earth’s orbit for a lunar mission.
- Christina Koch is the first woman to venture into deep space.
- Jeremy Hansen is the first non-American (Canadian) to fly to the Moon.
The Artemis program, named after the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology, is not merely a repeat of the 1960s moonshots. Its primary goal is to establish a sustainable human presence on and around the Moon.
NASA intends to use the Moon as a “proving ground” for the technologies and logistics required for the next giant leap: sending the first humans to Mars. Key objectives include searching for water ice at the lunar South Pole and testing the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield, which must withstand temperatures of nearly 2,760°C upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
The crew is expected to reach the Moon for their flyby on Monday, April 6, before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean later next week.
