During the Houston Texans' Space City Day on Jan. 4, 2026, the Johnson Space Center showcased Artemis 2, NASA's first crewed lunar flyby mission. The roughly 10-day flight will send four astronauts aboard Orion, launched by the SLS rocket, to test systems beyond low Earth orbit following Artemis 1. NASA has targeted a launch window between February and April 2026, and promoted a public "Send Your Name With Artemis 2" initiative during halftime.
Houston Texans Spotlight NASA's Artemis 2 During Space City Day at NRG Stadium
NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, center, and Johnson Space Center employees Tessa Rundle and Daniel Kolodziejcyk, wearing Orion Crew Survival System spacesuits, take the field during the Texans’ "Reppin’ H-Town" appearance. | Credit: Image courtesy of the Houston Texans
On Jan. 4, 2026, during the Houston Texans' Space City Day celebration, two bright-orange spacesuits stood out against the green turf at NRG Stadium as the Johnson Space Center (JSC) gave fans a close-up look at Artemis 2 — NASA's first crewed mission in the Artemis campaign to return humans to the Moon.
Artemis 2: A Deep-Space Systems Shakedown
Artemis 2 is planned as a roughly 10-day lunar flyby that will carry four astronauts — NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, plus Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen — around the Moon and back to Earth aboard the Orion spacecraft, launched by NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
Unlike the future Artemis missions that aim to land astronauts on the lunar surface, Artemis 2 is primarily a systems verification flight. The crew will test Orion's life support, navigation and communications in the environment beyond low Earth orbit, building directly on the uncrewed Artemis 1 test flight to lunar orbit in 2022.
JSC employees Tessa Rundle and Daniel Kolodziejcyk, wearing Orion Crew Survival System spacesuits, celebrate the upcoming Artemis 2 mission with NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, center. | Credit: Image courtesy of the Houston Texans
Launch Window and Local Ties
NASA lists Artemis 2's targeted launch window as as early as February and no later than April 2026. The Space City Day presentation at NRG Stadium underscored how closely NASA's human spaceflight efforts are tied to Houston: JSC is home to the astronaut corps, Mission Control and major programs such as Orion and Gateway, making the stadium a fitting place to promote the next crewed lunar mission.
Public Participation and Halftime Activities
Beyond generating excitement, NASA encouraged fans to "ride along" symbolically. During halftime, the agency promoted its "Send Your Name With Artemis 2" initiative, which stores participants' names on a small chip that will travel inside Orion, letting people around the world feel connected to the mission.
Game note: The Texans hosted the Indianapolis Colts that day and won 38–30 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
Space City Day offered a reminder that human spaceflight is as much a community endeavor as a technical one — and that Houston remains central to America's return to the Moon.
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