More than half a century after Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan became the last human to walk on the Moon in December 1972, NASA is going back. The Artemis program — named after the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology — aims to establish a sustained human presence on and around the Moon, and use it as a stepping stone to Mars.
What Is Artemis?
Artemis is NASA’s flagship human spaceflight programme, conducted in partnership with ESA, JAXA (Japan), CSA (Canada), and other international partners, as well as commercial companies including SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Blue Origin.
Its goals:
- Land the first woman and first person of colour on the Moon
- Establish long-term, sustainable human presence on the lunar surface
- Build the Gateway — a small space station in lunar orbit
- Develop technologies and experience for future crewed Mars missions
Source: NASA — Artemis Program
The Rocket: Space Launch System (SLS)
Artemis uses NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) — the most powerful rocket NASA has ever built, generating 8.8 million pounds (39.1 meganewtons) of thrust. It stands 98 metres tall in its Block 1 configuration and can send more payload to deep space than any previous rocket, including Saturn V in terms of performance to translunar orbit.
SLS uses four RS-25 engines (heritage Space Shuttle Main Engines) and two solid rocket boosters derived from Space Shuttle boosters — but significantly upgraded. Unlike SpaceX’s Starship, SLS is not reusable.
The Spacecraft: Orion
Orion is the crew vehicle that sits atop SLS — built by Lockheed Martin with a European Service Module provided by ESA. It can carry up to 4 astronauts and is designed for deep space travel, with radiation shielding and life support for missions lasting up to 21 days. Orion re-enters Earth’s atmosphere at speeds up to 40,000 km/h — faster than Apollo capsules — and splashes down in the Pacific Ocean.
The Mission Sequence
Artemis I — November 2022 ✅
An uncrewed test flight. Orion launched on SLS, flew around the Moon, and splashed down in the Pacific — demonstrating the system works. The mission lasted 25 days and Orion travelled 1.4 million miles, further from Earth than any spacecraft designed to carry humans.
Artemis II — 2025 (planned)
The first crewed Artemis mission. Four astronauts — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen — will fly around the Moon without landing and return to Earth. The 10-day mission will be the first time humans have left low Earth orbit since Apollo 17.
Artemis III — 2026 (planned, possibly later)
The Moon landing. Two astronauts will travel to the lunar Gateway, then descend to the lunar south pole aboard a modified SpaceX Starship (the Human Landing System selected by NASA in 2021). The south pole is targeted because of confirmed water ice in permanently shadowed craters — a critical resource for future long-term habitation.
The Gateway — Humanity’s First Lunar Space Station
In parallel with surface missions, international partners are building the Lunar Gateway — a small modular space station in a highly elliptical near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) around the Moon. It will serve as an orbital staging point for lunar surface missions and a deep space research laboratory. The first modules are planned for launch in the mid-2020s.
Why the South Pole?
NASA’s choice of the lunar south pole is strategic. In 2009, the LCROSS mission confirmed water ice in permanently shadowed craters near the south pole — craters that have not seen sunlight in billions of years. This ice could be used for:
- Drinking water for astronauts
- Split into hydrogen and oxygen for rocket propellant — enabling refuelling depots
- Oxygen for life support
Source: Colaprete et al., Science (2010) — LCROSS water discovery
Artemis vs. Apollo — What’s Different?
| Feature | Apollo | Artemis |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Land on Moon, return | Sustained presence, Mars pathway |
| Landing site | Equatorial regions | South pole |
| Duration on surface | Up to 3 days | Up to 6.5 days (increasing) |
| Partners | NASA only | 20+ nations |
| Commercial role | None | SpaceX, Blue Origin, others |
| Crew diversity | All white male | Includes first woman, first person of colour |
When Will Humans Land?
Artemis III has faced repeated delays due to Starship development milestones and SLS/Orion readiness. The current official target is 2026, though many analysts expect 2027 or later. NASA has publicly acknowledged the schedule is optimistic.
Whatever the precise date, for the first time in more than 50 years, human footprints will again mark the surface of another world. And this time, the plan is to stay.
