KATHMANDU, JANUARY 22, 2026 – In a monumental leap for human space exploration, NASA is entering the final countdown for the Artemis II mission, the first crewed journey to the vicinity of the Moon in over 50 years. While the mission will carry four elite astronauts, it also carries a symbolic cargo of global participation: a digital registry of more than 1.5 million names from around the world. Among these virtual crew members is Sandesh Poudel, whose name is now officially encoded on a high-tech SD card secured inside the Orion spacecraft.
The “Send Your Name with Artemis” program, which officially closed its registration on January 21, 2026, allowed space enthusiasts to claim a “boarding pass” for the lunar orbit. This initiative serves as a bridge between the public and the rigorous scientific goals of the mission. The names will travel aboard the Orion capsule, mounted atop the Space Launch System (SLS)—the world’s most powerful rocket—marking a historic moment where millions of individuals symbolically join the first humans to venture into deep space in the 21st century.
Mission Countdown and Launch Details: The Artemis II spacecraft reached a major milestone on Saturday, January 17, when it was rolled out to Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The towering 322-foot rocket completed its slow, four-mile journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building in just under 12 hours. NASA is currently targeting a primary launch window that opens on February 6, 2026.
- Pre-Launch Testing: Engineers are currently preparing for the “Wet Dress Rehearsal” scheduled for the end of January. This critical test involves fully fueling the rocket and practicing the entire launch countdown to ensure all systems—from life support to navigation—are ready for the human crew.
- The Journey: The mission is designed as a 10-day flight. Orion will first orbit Earth to test its systems before a “Translunar Injection” burn sends it on a free-return trajectory around the Moon, reaching a distance of approximately 6,400 miles (10,300 km) from the lunar surface.
Meet the Historic Crew: The mission features a diverse crew of four pioneers who will become the first humans to see the Moon from a close distance since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972:
- Reid Wiseman (Commander): A veteran NASA astronaut.
- Victor Glover (Pilot): Set to become the first person of color to travel to the Moon.
- Christina Koch (Mission Specialist): Set to become the first woman to travel beyond low Earth orbit.
- Jeremy Hansen (Mission Specialist): Representing the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) as the first non-American on a lunar mission.
The success of Artemis II is a vital stepping stone for Artemis III, which aims to land the first woman and person of color on the lunar South Pole in 2027/2028. For the millions of “virtual passengers” like Sandesh Poudel, the mission represents a shared human dream of reaching for the stars. As Orion returns to Earth for a planned splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, it will bring back data that will pave the way for a permanent lunar base and the eventual human exploration of Mars.