If flying to the Moon were like swimming the English Channel, no one in the 53 years since Apollo 17 splashed down in the Pacific would have ventured more than 40 metres from the beach. That is about to change.

The object dubbed Earth's "second moon" is actually a quasi-satellite that's accompanied the planet since 1957 — not a true moon.

Check out this complete guide to every full moon in 2026, including moon names, peak times, supermoons, micromoons and a total lunar eclipse.

The Artemis II mission will merely orbit the moon and return—but it helps lay the groundwork for an eventually permanent return to its surface.

China set for crewed lunar tests, record launches, moon mission and reusable rockets in 2026 China appears set to accelerate its launch rate this year while also conducting tests key to its crewed lunar ambitions and launching major missions.

Unseasonably cold weather in Florida has forced NASA to scrub a key rehearsal for the Artemis II mission, delaying preparations for the agency’s most anticipated rocket launch in years.