Artemis II launched on April 1, 2026 at 6:35 PM EDT from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39B — sending four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back. This isn't a landing mission. It's a proving flight. Just as Apollo 8 tested whether humans could reach the Moon in 1968, Artemis II is testing whether a new generation of spacecraft can safely carry crew to the Moon and bring them home. Every system aboard — life support, navigation, communications, the heat shield — must work flawlessly before astronauts can land on the lunar surface in future missions.

2026年4月1日，肯尼迪航天中心39B发射台。五十三年的等待，在一声轰鸣中终结。阿尔忒弥斯二号不是登月任务——它是"通行证"。就像1968年阿波罗8号证明人类能抵达月球一样，这次飞行必须证明新一代飞船能安全地把宇航员送到月球并带回家。生命支持系统、导航、通信、隔热盾——每一个环节都必须在深空中经受真实的考验，才能为未来的登月任务铺平道路。

Artemis II follows a free-return trajectory — a flight path that uses the Moon's own gravity to sling the spacecraft back toward Earth. It's the same type of trajectory that saved the Apollo 13 crew in 1970. After launching into Earth orbit, the crew will spend about a day in high Earth orbit testing Orion's systems. Then a critical engine burn will push them toward the Moon. Four days later, they'll swing around the far side — passing approximately 4,700 miles (7,600 km) beyond the Moon — before the return journey back to Earth. At that distance, they're expected to become the farthest humans from Earth in history, surpassing the Apollo 13 record of 248,655 miles.

自由返回轨道——这条飞行路径借助月球自身引力把飞船"弹"回地球，是当年阿波罗13号爆炸后拯救三名宇航员的同款轨道。阿尔忒弥斯二号沿着这条轨迹出发：先在高椭圆地球轨道停留一天做系统检验，再点燃发动机奔向月球。四天后，飞船将绕过月球远端，在距月面约4700英里（7600公里）的位置飞掠——届时四名宇航员将成为人类史上距离地球最远的存在，打破1970年阿波罗13号创下的约40万公里纪录。

Artemis II is packed with critical objectives: life support systems (first crewed test of Orion's oxygen, CO₂ scrubbing, water recycling, and temperature regulation in deep space); manual spacecraft handling (Pilot Glover will perform close formation flying with the spent rocket stage); deep-space communications testing; AVATAR tissue experiments studying radiation effects and ARCHAR health monitoring; and a ~25,000 mph re-entry — the fastest crewed re-entry ever attempted — where the heat shield must survive temperatures approaching 5,000°F.

阿尔忒弥斯二号是一次密集的技术检验：生命支持系统将首次在深空进行载人测试；飞行员维克托·格洛弗将亲手操控猎户座飞船进行近距离编队飞行；超远距离深空通信链路同样列入考核；AVATAR实验研究深空辐射对人体组织的影响；最后也是最惊险的一关：飞船以约每小时4万公里的速度冲入大气层，隔热盾必须承受接近2700摄氏度的高温，不容有失。

The mission has deep connections to the Apollo program. Its objectives mirror Apollo 8 (1968), which proved humans could safely travel to the Moon. Its trajectory resembles Apollo 13 (1970), the mission that used a free-return path to bring its crew home after an in-flight emergency. And it picks up where Apollo 17 (December 1972) left off — the last time any human ventured beyond low Earth orbit. But Artemis II isn't just repeating history. Its crew is more diverse than any deep-space mission before it. Its purpose is to build a sustained human presence on the Moon — and eventually, to reach Mars.

阿尔忒弥斯二号与阿波罗计划之间有着深刻的血脉关联。它的使命镜像于阿波罗8号；它的轨道师承阿波罗13号；它接续的是阿波罗17号留下的历史缺口——1972年12月，人类最后一次离开近地轨道。但阿尔忒弥斯二号不是在重复历史。它的机组比任何一次深空任务都更具多样性，最重要的是——它的目标不再是"到此一游"，而是要把人类永久地送到月球，送向火星，送向更远的地方。

The Space Launch System (SLS) stands 322 feet tall — taller than the Statue of Liberty — and generates 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, 15% more than the Saturn V. The Block 1 configuration consists of a 212-foot core stage powered by four RS-25 engines (upgraded Space Shuttle Main Engines), two 177-foot solid rocket boosters each producing 3.6 million pounds of thrust, and an Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage upper stage. Fully fueled, the SLS weighs 5.75 million pounds.

太空发射系统（SLS）高98米，比自由女神像还高，起飞推力达880万磅（约4000吨），比传奇的土星五号还强15%。其核心级高65米，由四台RS-25发动机提供动力。两枚54米固体助推器各产生360万磅推力，在发射的前两分钟贡献了绝大部分推力。满载燃料时，SLS总重达260万公斤。土星五号退役五十年后，人类终于建造出了一枚同等量级的巨兽。

Perched atop the SLS sits the Orion spacecraft — the crew module that will carry four astronauts around the Moon and back. The crew named their Orion capsule "Integrity," announced on September 24, 2025, representing "the foundation of trust" behind the mission. Built by Lockheed Martin, Orion (CM-003) is designed for deep space, featuring advanced life support and a heat shield made of AVCOAT ablative material — the largest of its kind ever built — designed to withstand temperatures approaching 5,000°F during re-entry. A parachute system slows it from ~25,000 mph to ~17 mph for splashdown.

坐落于SLS顶端的猎户座飞船，是四名宇航员十天深空旅途的家。机组将这艘飞船命名为"诚信"号（Integrity），于2025年9月24日正式公布——这个名字代表着整个任务背后的信任基石。由洛克希德·马丁公司建造的猎户座（CM-003）专为深空设计：配备完整的生命支持系统，以及人类有史以来制造的最大AVCOAT烧蚀材料隔热盾——这块盾牌必须在飞船以时速约4万公里冲入大气层时，承受接近2700摄氏度的烈焰。

Directly behind the crew module sits the European Service Module — Artemis II's engine room. Built by Airbus Defence and Space for ESA, the ESM-2 provides everything the crew needs in space: a main engine plus 32 thrusters for orbital maneuvers (including the critical translunar injection burn), four solar array wings for power, and 240 kg of drinking water, 90 kg of oxygen, and 30 kg of nitrogen. Total mass: 13,500 kg, including 8,600 kg of propellant. The ESM is Europe's critical contribution to the Artemis program.

紧贴乘员舱后方的欧洲服务舱（ESM-2）是阿尔忒弥斯二号的引擎室，由空客防务与航天公司为欧洲航天局建造。它提供了深空飞行所需的一切：一台主发动机加32个小推力器，包括将猎户座推向月球的关键"月球转移注入"点火；四块太阳能帆板提供电力；携带240公斤饮用水、90公斤氧气和30公斤氮气；总质量13500公斤，其中燃料重达8600公斤。这是欧洲为人类重返月球做出的关键贡献。

Towering above the Orion capsule during launch is the Launch Abort System (LAS) — a rocket-powered escape tower designed to pull the crew module away from the SLS in the event of an emergency during launch or ascent. In a fraction of a second, the LAS can fire its motors and whisk the capsule to a safe distance, deploying parachutes for an ocean landing. The LAS is jettisoned after the rocket clears the most dangerous phase of the ascent — the moment ground controllers truly breathe easy.

屹立于猎户座顶端的发射逃逸系统（LAS），是一座由固体火箭驱动的逃生塔。在火箭出现险情的瞬间，它能在零点几秒内点火，将乘员舱从爆炸中强行拖离，展开降落伞落入海面。没有人希望它真正启动，但它的存在让宇航员在攀越这道生死之门时多了一份确定的保障。逃逸塔在飞船安全穿越高危段后被抛弃——当它离去的瞬间，地面控制中心才真正松了一口气。

6:35 PM EDT — Liftoff from Kennedy Space Center. The SLS solid rocket boosters ignite, producing a combined 7.2 million pounds of thrust. At about 2 minutes, traveling 3,100 mph at 30 miles altitude, the boosters separate. The core stage burns for 8 minutes, placing Orion into a highly elliptical orbit with an apogee of roughly 1,400 miles — nearly five times higher than the ISS. About 49 minutes after launch, the ICPS upper stage fires to raise Orion's orbit. Mission Specialists Koch and Hansen immediately begin testing critical life support systems.

美东时间下午6时35分，固体助推器点火，SLS以720万磅合力推力离开39B发射台，数秒内清塔。约两分钟后，时速约5000公里、高度约50公里处，两枚助推器完成分离，弧线落入大西洋。核心级持续燃烧8分钟，将猎户座送入远地点约2250公里的高椭圆轨道——这已是国际空间站高度的五倍。发射后约49分钟，上面级ICPS点火进一步抬高轨道。科赫和汉森立刻着手测试关键生命支持系统。

A second major burn pushes Orion into a high Earth orbit reaching 44,000 miles from Earth on a 23.5-hour period. Pilot Victor Glover moves to the commander's controls and performs proximity operations with the spent ICPS stage — close formation flying to evaluate Orion's handling qualities. After the demonstration, the ICPS releases four international CubeSats from Argentina, Germany, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia, then maneuvers itself into a disposal orbit. The crew converts the cabin from launch to flight configuration and has their first meal in space.

第二次点火将猎户座推入远地点约7万公里、轨道周期23.5小时的高地球轨道。飞行员维克托·格洛弗移坐至指挥官操控位，亲手操控猎户座与废弃的ICPS上面级进行近距离编队飞行——这是对飞船手动机动性能的关键考验。演示完成后，ICPS退场，释放来自阿根廷、德国、韩国和沙特阿拉伯的四颗国际立方星。机组将飞船从发射构型切换至飞行构型，吃下抵达太空后的第一顿饭。

If all systems check out, mission controllers give the go-ahead for the most consequential moment of the flight: an approximately six-minute burn of the European Service Module's main engine. This translunar injection accelerates Orion to escape velocity, placing it on a trajectory toward the Moon. There's no turning back — though the free-return trajectory ensures that lunar gravity will sling them home even without further engine burns.

如果所有系统通过检验，地面控制中心将下达这次飞行中最重要的指令：欧洲服务舱主发动机点火约六分钟，完成月球转移注入（TLI）燃烧，将猎户座加速至逃逸速度，踏上奔向月球的轨道。从这一刻起，没有退路——但自由返回轨道确保即便发动机全部沉默，月球引力也能把他们送回家。这六分钟的点火，跨越了人类五十三年的等待。

The crew settles into a rhythm during the three-day outbound cruise. They monitor spacecraft systems, perform trajectory correction burns as needed, and conduct AVATAR tissue experiments and ARCHAR health monitoring — sleep tracking, movement sensors, and immune biomarker collection. As they travel farther from Earth than any humans in more than 53 years, they watch Earth shrink to a small blue marble and the Moon grow from a bright point to a world of craters and mountains.

三天的奔月航程中，机组进入日常节奏。他们监测飞船各系统状态，根据需要执行轨道修正点火，同时进行科学实验：AVATAR项目研究深空辐射对人体组织的影响，ARCHAR系统追踪睡眠模式、运动数据，并通过唾液样本收集免疫生物标志物。随着飞船越飞越远，地球在身后变成蓝色的玻璃球，月球在前方从亮点变成一个有山有坑的世界。

Orion swings around the Moon's far side at a closest approach of approximately 4,047 miles (6,513 km) from the surface. For the first time in history, humans observe portions of the Moon's far side up close. During the flyby, the crew temporarily loses contact with Earth as the Moon blocks radio signals. At the farthest point, they'll be approximately 4,700 miles beyond the Moon's far side — potentially becoming the farthest humans from Earth in history, surpassing the record set by the Apollo 13 crew on April 14, 1970 (248,655 miles).

猎户座从月球远端掠过，最近接近距月面约6500公里——人类历史上首次如此近距离地目睹月球背面的真实面貌。低斜的光线将陨石坑、山脊和斜坡的轮廓以戏剧性的方式投影在月面上。飞掠期间，月球遮断了无线电信号，飞船陷入与地球的短暂通讯中断。在月球背面最远处，距地球约40万公里，他们刷新了1970年阿波罗13号留下的人类离家最远纪录。

Harnessing the Moon's gravity, Orion slings back toward Earth on its free-return trajectory. The crew continues systems tests and health experiments during the three-day return. Mission controllers may command small correction burns to refine the approach angle, which is critical for a safe re-entry. The crew begins preparing for splashdown: stowing equipment, configuring the cabin for re-entry, and donning their pressure suits.

借助月球引力弹射，猎户座踏上回家之路。三天的返程中，机组继续进行系统测试和健康监测实验。地面控制中心可能下令执行数次小型修正点火，精确调整再入走廊的角度——这条走廊极为狭窄，偏差哪怕几度，要么在大气层外层弹飞，要么在烈焰中化为灰烬。宇航员们开始准备溅落：收存设备、将座舱调整至再入构型、穿上加压服。

Orion hits Earth's atmosphere at approximately 25,000 mph — the fastest crewed re-entry ever attempted, exceeding the previous record held by Apollo 10. At this speed, the heat shield must endure temperatures approaching 5,000°F. Artemis II uses a steeper, direct re-entry profile — a modification made after unexpected heat shield erosion was observed during the uncrewed Artemis I mission. Eight parachutes deploy in sequence, slowing Orion to about 17 mph for a Pacific Ocean splashdown near San Diego around April 10–11. The U.S. Navy recovers the crew and capsule.

猎户座以约每小时4万公里的速度冲入大气层——这是人类有史以来最快的载人再入，超过了阿波罗10号保持的纪录。在这个速度下，隔热盾外表面温度接近2700摄氏度，内舱却必须维持正常温度。阿尔忒弥斯二号采用直接再入方式——这是根据无人驾驶的阿尔忒弥斯一号任务中发现的意外隔热盾侵蚀现象做出的改进决策。八具降落伞依次展开，将飞船减速至约每小时27公里，在圣迭戈附近的太平洋完成溅落。美国海军以圣安东尼奥级两栖运输舰回收机组和飞船。

Artemis II is the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 returned on December 19, 1972 — a gap of more than 53 years. For over half a century, every human space mission stayed within 250 miles of Earth. This is also the first crewed flight of both the SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft. And with four people aboard, it carries more crew members into deep space simultaneously than any previous mission — Apollo carried three.

阿尔忒弥斯二号是1972年12月19日阿波罗17号返回以来，人类首次飞越近地轨道的载人任务——中断时长超过53年。半个多世纪里，每一次人类太空飞行都只在距地面约400公里的低轨道徘徊。这也是太空发射系统（SLS）和猎户座飞船首次执行载人任务。四人同时进入深空，更打破了阿波罗时代三人并行的纪录。

For the first time in history, the crew traveling beyond Earth orbit isn't all white, all male, or all American. Christina Koch is the first woman to travel beyond low Earth orbit — all 24 Apollo astronauts who flew to the Moon were men. Victor Glover is the first person of color to venture beyond low Earth orbit, carrying the legacy of a grandfather denied opportunities in aviation because of the color of his skin. Jeremy Hansen is the first non-American and first Canadian to travel beyond low Earth orbit, made possible by a 2020 U.S.-Canada space cooperation agreement.

人类历史上，飞越近地轨道的机组首次不再全是白人、全是男性、全是美国人。克里斯蒂娜·科赫，人类历史上首位进入深空的女性——24名阿波罗宇航员全部是男性。维克托·格洛弗，首位进入深空的有色人种——他的祖父在朝鲜战争中服役，却因肤色被拒于飞行员生涯门外，而他替祖父飞到了月球。杰里米·汉森，首位进入深空的非美国人、加拿大首位月球宇航员——他的入选依托于2020年美加太空合作协议。

Artemis II is poised to set multiple records simultaneously:

• Farthest humans from Earth: ~4,700 miles beyond the Moon, surpassing the Apollo 13 record of 248,655 miles (set April 14, 1970)
• Fastest crewed re-entry: ~25,000 mph, exceeding the previous record held by Apollo 10
• Oldest person beyond LEO: Commander Wiseman at age 50, surpassing all Apollo-era lunar travelers
• Most people in deep space: Four crew members at once, surpassing Apollo 8's three (1968)

阿尔忒弥斯二号将同时打破四项纪录：

• 最远：飞越月球背面约7600公里处，超越阿波罗13号1970年4月14日创下的40万公里离地记录
• 最快：以约每小时4万公里冲入大气层，超越阿波罗10号保持的载人再入速度纪录
• 最年长：50岁的指挥官怀斯曼，超越了所有阿波罗时代的月球宇航员
• 最多同时深空人数：四人并行，超越1968年阿波罗8号设立的三人纪录

Jeremy Hansen holds a unique distinction: he has never been to space before. While all three of his crewmates are veteran astronauts, Hansen is a spaceflight rookie — making his debut not on a routine orbital mission, but on a journey around the Moon. This hasn't happened since the Apollo era, when several astronauts made their first spaceflight on lunar missions. His selection reflects the extraordinary trust NASA and CSA place in his abilities as a fighter pilot, physicist, and trained aquanaut and cavenaut.

杰里米·汉森创造了一项独特的纪录：他从未上过太空，而他的太空首飞，直接是飞向月球。在三位战功赫赫的宇航员队友中，他是唯一的"新手"。上一次有宇航员以这种方式完成太空首秀，还是阿波罗时代。汉森的入选，体现了NASA和加拿大航天局对他的绝对信任——战斗机飞行员、物理学家、受训的"水下宇航员"和"洞穴宇航员"。从2009年入选宇航员到2026年出发，等待了14年，他的目的地从第一次就是月球。

Artemis III, targeted for 2027, will test the rendezvous and docking systems essential for landing astronauts on the Moon. An Orion crew will meet up in low Earth orbit with commercially developed lunar landers — SpaceX's Starship Human Landing System and Blue Origin's system — to practice maneuvers that a future landing crew will need. This mission was originally planned as the first lunar landing but was restructured in early 2026 to add this crucial test step first.

计划于2027年执行的阿尔忒弥斯三号将测试在月球轨道上与登陆舱交会对接的全套系统。猎户座飞船将在月球低轨道与商业登陆舱（SpaceX星舰载人版和蓝色起源蓝月亮系统中的一个或两个）进行交会对接演练，模拟未来登月任务所需的全套机动流程。这次任务原本计划是首次登月飞行，但2026年初经过重新规划，加入了这一关键验证步骤。

If Artemis III's tests succeed, Artemis IV is targeted for 2028 as the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 in 1972. Astronauts will transfer from Orion to a commercial lander in orbit around the Moon, descend to the surface, conduct science, and return. NASA plans to send astronauts to the lunar south pole region, where water ice has been detected in permanently shadowed craters — a resource that could sustain future explorers and be converted into rocket propellant for missions to Mars.

如果阿尔忒弥斯三号的演练一切顺利，阿尔忒弥斯四号计划于2028年成为自1972年阿波罗17号以来首次载人登月。宇航员将在月球轨道上从猎户座转移到商业登陆舱，降落月面，完成科学探索后返回。NASA计划将宇航员送往月球南极地区——那里的永久阴影陨石坑中已探测到水冰，这是维持未来探索者生存的关键资源，甚至可能被转化为飞往火星的推进剂。

The Artemis program's ultimate goal goes far beyond one-time visits. NASA envisions a sustained human presence on and around the Moon — what NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has called a "Moon Base." Future missions will build up infrastructure piece by piece: habitats, power systems, rovers, and communication relays. The Moon will serve as a testing ground for technologies needed for the ultimate destination: Mars. Living and working on the lunar surface will teach us how to survive on another world.

阿尔忒弥斯计划的终极目标远不止几次登月飞行。NASA设想的是在月球上建立持久的人类存在——NASA局长贾里德·艾萨克曼称之为"月球基地"。未来的任务将一步步建立起月球基础设施：居住舱、电力系统、月球车、就地资源利用设备和通信中继站。月球将成为测试深空生存技术的试验场，也是通往火星的桥头堡。

As Commander Wiseman put it: "We've always looked at the moon and said, 'We've been there.' But for this whole generation — for the younger generation, for the Artemis generation — they're going to look at the moon now and go, 'We are there.'" Artemis II isn't the end of a story. It's the beginning of one — written by a crew that looks like the world they represent, flying a spacecraft named Integrity, on a mission to prove that humanity's greatest adventures are still ahead.

怀斯曼指挥官说："我们一直仰望月球说'我们曾经去过'。但对这整整一代人——年轻的阿尔忒弥斯一代——他们今后看向月球，会说'我们在那里。'"阿尔忒弥斯二号不是故事的结局，而是故事的开篇——由一支代表了这个世界多样性的机组书写，驾驶着一艘名为"诚信"的飞船，执行一项证明人类最伟大的冒险仍在前方的任务。