Artemis 2 will differ from Apollo in flight profile and long-term goals.

Artemis 2, scheduled to launch no earlier than April 1, will be the first crewed flight of the Artemis program and will carry four astronauts on a free-return flyby that goes beyond the moon; the Artemis effort is focused on establishing a sustainable lunar presence rather than a short-term demonstration.

Artemis 2 is the first crewed flight in NASA's Artemis program and is scheduled to launch no earlier than April 1. It follows Artemis 1, an uncrewed test of the Orion spacecraft in lunar orbit in 2022. While Apollo missions in 1968–1972 included multiple lunar orbits and surface landings, Artemis 2 will perform a different flight profile and is part of a program aimed at a longer-term human presence on the moon. NASA describes the mission as a step toward using lunar resources and supporting later missions that will return astronauts to the surface. Known details: - Artemis 2 will carry four crew members: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. - The crew will follow a free-return trajectory that uses the moon's gravity to bring them back to Earth rather than relying on the service module engine. - The flight will fly by and go beyond the moon but will not complete a full lunar orbit. - Mission planners say Artemis 2 is expected to exceed the farthest distance humans have traveled into deep space, a record held by Apollo 13, if all goes according to plan. - Artemis 1 in 2022 was an uncrewed test that exercised Orion with most systems installed and tested a new type of lunar orbit for a human-rated vehicle. - The Artemis program's longer-term goals include establishing a sustainable presence near the lunar south pole and using local resources such as water ice for life support and fuel. Summary: Artemis 2 is presented as a distinct mission from Apollo because it combines a new crewed flight profile with programmatic aims beyond demonstration visits. The next major milestone is the crewed flight planned no earlier than April 1; the mission is described as an early operational step toward later Artemis missions focused on returning astronauts to the lunar surface and building sustained capabilities.