What was the first crewed Artemis mission to fly beyond low Earth orbit?

Artemis II was the first crewed Artemis mission to fly beyond low Earth orbit.

The mission launched in April 2026 and sent four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft on a free-return flight around the Moon. It was also the first crewed flight of the Space Launch System and the first crewed Orion mission.

Artemis I, launched in 2022, tested the Space Launch System and Orion without astronauts aboard. Artemis II therefore served as the program’s first crewed deep-space test, checking life-support systems, navigation, communications, and crew procedures.

The mission’s lunar flyby continued a tradition established by Apollo 8, which became the first crewed spacecraft to orbit the Moon in 1968. Artemis II did not land; its success was intended to support later missions aimed at sustained lunar exploration.