Artemis II is the first crewed test flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, integrated and launched by Exploration Ground Systems, under NASA’s Artemis program, and the first mission to take humans to deep space since Apollo. During the mission, four astronauts will conduct an approximately 10-day mission around the Moon to help confirm the systems and hardware needed for human lunar exploration missions. 

The Northrop Grumman-manufactured twin five-segment solid rocket boosters provided 75% of the rocket’s thrust at launch, and the attitude control motor and abort motor integrated into the Orion spacecraft’s Launch Abort System were active to protect the crew in the event of an emergency on the pad or during ascent.