Artemis II is expected to come back to Earth about 10 days after launch ; with the current April 1, 2026 launch timing, that points to a return around April 11, 2026. NASA has described Artemis II as a ten-day lunar flyby mission that will travel around the Moon and then splash back on Earth.

Quick Scoop

This is not a Moon landing mission. It’s a crewed loop around the Moon, designed to test Orion, the SLS rocket, and mission systems before future lunar landings.

Timing

  • Launch: April 1, 2026.
  • Mission length: about 10 days.
  • Earth return: roughly April 11, 2026 , assuming the mission follows the planned duration.

What to watch

NASA can adjust timing slightly if mission operations change, but the public expectation right now is a ten-day round trip. If you want, I can also give you the full Artemis II timeline day by day.