NASA’s Artemis-2 mission, launched from Florida, will send four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor J. Glover, and Jeremy Hansen—on a 10-day journey around the Moon without landing. The mission, originally planned for November 2024, was delayed due to technical issues. It aims to test flight strategies and prepare for Artemis-3, scheduled for next year. The next human landing on the lunar surface is expected with Artemis-4, planned for 2028.

The Artemis program, launched in 2017 after several canceled projects, involves thousands of people and an estimated cost of $93 billion. It seeks to establish a sustainable lunar presence through a lunar orbit station and a surface base, paving the way for future Mars missions. NASA has partnered with private companies, selecting SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s lander designs for future lunar landings.

NASA’s renewed lunar focus also reflects growing geopolitical interest, as both the United States and China aim to explore resource-rich regions of the Moon. Artemis-2 will mark the first time in over 50 years that humans view the Moon’s far side directly, capturing images for future scientific analysis.