A full Moon is in view from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 14, 2022. The Artemis I Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft, atop the mobile launcher, are being prepared for a wet dress rehearsal to practice timelines and procedures for launch. The first in an increasingly complex series of missions, Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and using the Moon as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.
Premieres Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream with KPBS+ / Encores Sunday, April 19 at 3 p.m. on KPBS TV and 9 p.m. on KPBS 2
A half-century after American astronauts walked on the Moon, NASA and its international partners are taking the dream of Apollo a giant step further.
In the coming years, the Artemis missions – named after Apollo's twin sister in Greek mythology – aim to bring astronauts back to the Moon and establish a lunar space station for scientific and commercial exploration.
A half-century after Apollo, the Artemis missions aim to bring astronauts back to the Moon and establish a lunar space station. Follow the Artemis II engineers and crew on the perilous 10-day journey to orbit the Moon.
Follow the four members of the Artemis II crew as they embark on a perilous 10-day journey to orbit the Moon, venturing beyond Earth orbit for the first time since Apollo and farther into the Solar System than any humans have gone before.
NASA / NOVA
/
GBH
March 29, 2023. LOCATION: Bldg. 8, Room 183 - Photo Studio. SUBJECT: Official crew portrait for Artemis II, from left: NASA Astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen. PHOTOGRAPHER: Josh Valcarcel
And get an inside look at the preparations needed to overcome the extreme engineering challenges of human-crewed spaceflight, all the way from launch to splashdown.
NASA / NOVA / GBH
/
(NASA/Keegan Barber)
NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft are seen atop a mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, after being rolled out to the launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis II test flight will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), around the Moon and back to Earth no later than April 2026. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)
Watch On Your Schedule:KPBS+ is a new free streaming video app designed for ease and enjoyment everywhere you watch including Roku, smart TVs and mobile devices. It’s locally curated for San Diego by the KPBS programming team. With a clean and intuitive design, discovering and enjoying KPBS and PBS content on-demand has never been easier.
You can also tune in live to watch our four TV channels in real time: KPBS, KPBS 2, Create, KPBS Kids 24/7. We also added a new channel - FNX (First Nation Experience).
Your KPBS Passport member benefit works on KPBS+ too! You’ll have access to even more great shows when you simply log in with your KPBS Passport account.
A half-century after Apollo, the Artemis missions aim to bring astronauts back to the Moon and establish a lunar space station.
About The Series:NOVA brings you stories from the frontlines of science and engineering, answering the big questions of today and tomorrow, from how our ancestors lived, to whether parallel universes exist, to how technology will transform our lives.
NASA / NOVA / GBH
/
(NASA/Joel Kowsky)
NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander, right, speaks to members of the media alongside NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, left, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II mission specialist, NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist, and NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, as NASA’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft rolls out to Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. In the coming weeks, engineers will prepare for the wet dress rehearsal, a two-day test that simulates launch day. The Artemis II test flight will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), around the Moon and back to Earth no later than April 2026. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Jen is a web producer at KPBS, responsible for program promotion, membership-related activities, and is the editor of the KPBS community calendar. Jen has worked at KPBS since 2000. She is originally from Las Vegas and attended UNLV.
KPBS keeps you informed with local stories you need to know about — with no paywall. Our news is free for everyone because people like you help fund it.
Without federal funding, community support is our lifeline. Make a gift to protect the future of KPBS.
