Back to the Moon — and Beyond

More than 50 years after the last Apollo astronaut left the lunar surface, NASA's Artemis program is working to return humans to the Moon — this time to stay. Named after the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology, Artemis represents a new era of lunar exploration driven by scientific discovery, international partnership, and a clear eye toward eventual crewed missions to Mars.

What Is the Artemis Program?

Artemis is NASA's flagship human spaceflight program, with the core goals of landing the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, establishing a sustainable long-term human presence in the lunar environment, and using the Moon as a proving ground for deep space technologies needed for future Mars missions.

The program involves three main components working in concert:

  • Space Launch System (SLS): NASA's most powerful rocket, designed to launch crew and cargo beyond low Earth orbit.
  • Orion spacecraft: The crew capsule that carries astronauts from Earth to lunar orbit and back.
  • Gateway: A small space station planned for lunar orbit, serving as a staging point for surface missions and deep space research.
  • Human Landing System (HLS): Commercial landers (SpaceX's Starship HLS is the first selected) that transport crew from lunar orbit to the surface.

The Artemis Missions

Artemis I (November 2022)

The first mission was an uncrewed test flight that sent the Orion spacecraft on a 25-day journey around the Moon and back. It successfully demonstrated the SLS rocket and Orion capsule, paving the way for crewed flights. Orion traveled more than 430,000 km beyond Earth — farther than any human-rated spacecraft has traveled.

Artemis II

The first crewed Artemis mission will carry four astronauts — including NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen — on a free-return trajectory around the Moon. This mission will not land on the surface but will demonstrate that crew systems work correctly in the deep space environment.

Artemis III

The planned first crewed Moon landing of the program, targeting the lunar south pole — a region of immense scientific interest because permanently shadowed craters there are believed to contain significant deposits of water ice. This water could be used to support long-term habitation and even be converted to rocket propellant for future missions.

Why the Lunar South Pole?

Unlike the Apollo missions, which all landed near the lunar equator, Artemis is targeting the south polar region for compelling reasons:

  • Water ice: Confirmed by multiple missions including India's Chandrayaan-1, water ice exists in permanently shadowed craters at the poles. This is a critical resource for future exploration.
  • Constant sunlight: Certain elevated crater rims near the poles receive near-constant sunlight, ideal for solar power generation.
  • Scientific value: Ancient, pristine geology untouched by the solar wind could reveal insights into the early solar system.

International and Commercial Partners

Artemis is a truly global effort. The Artemis Accords, a set of principles for peaceful and transparent space exploration, have been signed by dozens of nations. Key international partners include ESA, JAXA (Japan), CSA (Canada), and many others contributing modules, instruments, and astronauts.

Commercial partners are also central to the program's strategy — from SpaceX's Starship landing system to commercial lunar payload services (CLPS) delivering scientific instruments to the Moon's surface ahead of crewed missions.

The Road to Mars

NASA envisions the Moon as humanity's first step toward Mars. Technologies tested in the Artemis program — life support systems, in-situ resource utilization (using lunar ice to produce water and oxygen), navigation, and habitat design — will directly inform the design of Mars missions. The lunar south pole serves as a natural proving ground before humanity attempts the far more challenging journey to the Red Planet.

Whether you see Artemis as a return to a familiar destination or the true beginning of humanity's expansion into the solar system, there is no doubt that this is one of the most ambitious and consequential exploration programs in human history.