The Preliminary Lunar Science Report for Artemis II is Out!

What happened

Through photographs, spoken observations, drawings, and annotations, the Artemis II crew created a unique scientific record—one that is now available to the science community and the public for further study. Roughly three and a half hours after launch, the rocket's first stage separated from the Orion spacecraft ( Integrity ), and astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen began their nearly ten-day journey around the Moon.

Explore highlights here, and find the full suite of reports and select data resources at the bottom of the page. As the second mission in the Artemis Program , the astronauts' flight was another crucial step toward returning astronauts to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo Era.

In addition, the Artemis II flight provided an opportunity for observation, science, and data gathering that has not existed since the Apollo Era. During the flight, the astronauts studied the "dark side's" geology, witnessed nighttime impacts on the surface, and watched the Earth and Sun rise from the far side of the Moon.