For the first time, the Artemis II crew got inside the Orion spacecraft that is expected to take them around the moon next spring. The Wednesday visit to Kennedy Space Center also included a suited crew test and crew equipment interface test in the Multi-Payload Processing Facility (MPPF).

NASA is preparing for its April 2026 Artemis II 10-day mission that will send a crew of four around the moon to prepare for future crewed moon landings.

The crew of NASA's Artemis II mission spoke to reporters in Florida on Wednesday. The astronauts are about to take their first steps inside the spacecraft that is set to carry them around the moon and back on a 10-day journey in 2026.