Humanity's Return to the Moon

More than five decades after Apollo 17's Gene Cernan became the last human to walk on the lunar surface in December 1972, NASA's Artemis program is working to send astronauts back to the Moon — this time to stay. Artemis is not a nostalgia project: it is a long-term initiative designed to establish a sustainable human presence on and around the Moon, develop technologies needed for future Mars missions, and open the lunar economy to commercial participation.

What Is Artemis?

Named after the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology, Artemis is NASA's flagship human spaceflight program. Its stated goals include:

  • Landing the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon
  • Establishing a sustained human presence near the lunar South Pole
  • Building the Lunar Gateway — a small space station in lunar orbit
  • Developing technologies and experience needed for crewed Mars missions
  • Partnering with commercial companies and international space agencies

The Key Hardware

Space Launch System (SLS)

The Space Launch System is NASA's heavy-lift rocket, designed to send the Orion crew capsule and large payloads beyond Earth orbit. In its initial Block 1 configuration, SLS can lift approximately 95 metric tons to low Earth orbit — more than any operational rocket in history. Future Block 1B and Block 2 variants are designed to carry even more payload. SLS uses a core stage powered by four RS-25 engines (heritage from the Space Shuttle program) flanked by a pair of solid rocket boosters.

Orion Spacecraft

The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle is designed to carry up to four astronauts on missions lasting up to 21 days without docking to another module. Built by Lockheed Martin, it features a crew module, a service module (provided by the European Space Agency), and a launch abort system. Orion is designed to withstand the extreme heat of lunar-return reentry — significantly more demanding than returning from the International Space Station.

Human Landing System (HLS)

NASA selected SpaceX's Starship as the Human Landing System for the first Artemis lunar surface missions. Starship will be launched separately, refueled in orbit, and rendezvous with Orion in lunar orbit to transport astronauts to and from the surface. Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander has also been selected for later missions, introducing competition into the lunar lander market.

Lunar Gateway

Gateway is a planned small space station in a near-rectilinear halo orbit around the Moon. It will serve as a staging point for lunar surface missions, a platform for scientific research, and a communications relay. International partners including ESA, JAXA, CSA, and others are contributing modules and systems.

Artemis Milestones So Far

  1. Artemis I (November 2022) — An uncrewed test flight that sent the Orion capsule on a 25-day journey around the Moon and back, validating the SLS and Orion systems. The mission was a success.
  2. Artemis II — A crewed flight of four astronauts around the Moon without landing, planned as the first crewed test of the full SLS/Orion stack.
  3. Artemis III — The planned first crewed lunar landing of the Artemis era, targeting the lunar South Pole region, where water ice is known to exist in permanently shadowed craters.

Why the South Pole?

Unlike the Apollo landing sites near the lunar equator, Artemis is targeting the Moon's South Polar region for compelling scientific and practical reasons:

  • Water ice — Permanently shadowed craters near the poles contain significant deposits of water ice, confirmed by multiple orbital missions. Water can be split into hydrogen and oxygen for rocket propellant and life support.
  • Sunlight — Crater rims near the poles receive nearly continuous sunlight, ideal for solar power generation.
  • Scientific value — The ancient, undisturbed ice may contain a record of the early solar system's history.

The Bigger Picture

Artemis is as much about Mars as it is about the Moon. The technologies, life support systems, navigation methods, and operational experience developed during sustained lunar operations will be directly applicable to the far more demanding challenge of sending humans to Mars. The Moon is, in this sense, a proving ground — humanity's next step on a much longer journey into the solar system.

Whether Artemis succeeds on schedule or faces further delays, it represents a genuine generational commitment to human exploration beyond Earth orbit — the first since the Apollo era ended more than 50 years ago.