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Artemis II Takes Humanity Back to the Moon! - Space Science for Kids

  • Writer: Amy Wung Tsao
    Amy Wung Tsao
  • Apr 4
  • 2 min read

“We rise together, back to the moon — and beyond.”

~ Derrol Nail (NASA launch commentator) 


As I write, these four astronauts are on their way to the moon!

Four astronauts in orange spacesuits greeting people as they walk to board the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II launch on April 1, 2026.

Did you miss the Artemis II launch to the moon on Tuesday, April 1, 2026? Here are the quick facts to catch you up:

  • There are 4 astronauts on the mission - 3 Americans and 1 Canadian.

  • The 1.4 million mile trip will take 10 days. 

  • They won’t land on the Moon, but they will orbit around the Moon and then land back to Earth. Here’s a quick video of the planned flight path.

  • This is the first time humans are traveling to the Moon in over 50 years!

  • This will be the first time humans will see the far side of the Moon with their own eyes!

  • This mission will test new technologies that will help us land humans on the Moon in the future Artemis IV mission (estimated 2028 launch).

  • The Artemis I mission 3 years ago launched an unmanned mission to orbit around the Moon. 


I rounded up for you some helpful videos and links to get your kids excited about this mission while Artemis is still on its way to the Moon!


Artist rendering of the moon, with text overlay reading "NASA's Artemis II Live Mission Coverage", with the NASA logo in the corner.

The NASA homepage also has the live broadcast and other updates. And if you want to dive deeper, you can also see where the Artemis II mission is right now in space. (It took a couple minutes for the website to fully load for me, be patient.)



This quick recap will catch you up on what happened on launch day! And if you’re curious to learn about the Artemis 1 mission that went to the Moon and back 3 years ago, watch this 6 minute video that NASA made specially for students. 



Woman standing in front of a photo of a rocket launch. Text overlay reads "First Human Flight."

Emily Calandrelli put together a kid-friendly video about the Artemis 2 launch, that will answer a lot of questions about this space mission! 



This really sweet video is about the small little stuffed toy that’s going up into space with the Artemis 2 astronauts! Astronauts really use small stuffed toys as a “zero gravity indicator.” They’re soft enough that they won’t hurt anything when they start floating around, amazing!


Now that your kids are excited about Artemis II, catch that momentum with more learning! I've gathered so much fun space science for kids, all about the Moon and space travel.


Cover illustration of kids in space suits and party hats jumping on the moon. Title reads "If You Had Your Birthday Party on the Moon."

Check out more Moon science for kids!


Cover illustration of an astronaut in a spacesuit floating in space above the Earth, releasing a stack of letters from his hand.

Check out more space travel for kids!



I hope learning about Artemis II gives you a moment to pause and experience awe today. Forward this to a friend who needs that shot of awe and wonder today too!


And if you liked these easy ways to get your kids excited about space, sign up for my newsletter to get more easy fun STEM ideas every month!



Until next time, keep looking up at the Moon and lighting sparks of curiosity,

Amy Wung Tsao


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