NASA will send four humans around the Moon again for the first time in over 50 years. It’s a huge moment - not just for spaceflight, but for everyone who’s ever looked up at the Moon and wondered what it’s like to go there.
A lot of people are asking the same questions:
What does this mission actually feel like from the astronauts’ point of view?
What will they experience?
What will they see?
So today, we’re going to step inside the Orion spacecraft and walk through it all—what life is really like inside the cabin during this 10-day journey around the Moon.
About eight minutes after liftoff, Artemis II is already making history.
The Orion spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, officially reaches space.
Even though mission control will continue fine-tuning the timeline in real time, there’s already a clear roadmap for how the mission unfolds.
Once the Space Launch System completes its primary job, things begin to separate - literally.
Orion and its interim cryogenic propulsion stage, or ICPS, detach from the rest of the rocket.
But the ICPS isn’t finished yet.
About 49 minutes after launch, it fires its engine to raise Orion’s orbit to a safer altitude—roughly 100 miles above Earth.
Then, about an hour later, it ignites again, pushing Orion into a higher, more stable orbit.
At this point, the crew spends about 23 hours in close proximity to Earth, ensuring everything is working exactly as expected.
This is when the astronauts begin settling in.
They’ll test essential onboard systems like the water dispenser - used for both drinking and rehydrating food - the toilet, and the life support system that removes carbon dioxide from the cabin.
They’ll also finally get to swap out their bulky orange launch-and-entry suits for more comfortable clothing.
Inside Orion, space is tight, so the crew will reorganize the interior, turning the capsule into a functional mix of living space and workspace for the next 10 days.
A few hours into the mission, NASA will conduct an important maneuver test.
In the future, Orion will need to dock with other spacecraft, so Artemis II includes a practice run.
The ICPS separates and becomes a target, and the crew pilots Orion around it, practicing precise control in microgravity.
