NASA is preparing to launch a mission to the moon. And there’s more than one reason why it’s history.
The space agency’s Artemis II launch marks the United States’ first return to the moon in more than 50 years. It will also carry the first black astronaut and the first female astronaut to the moon, but the mission will be a flyby without a touchdown.
The launch, originally scheduled for early February, has been postponed and four astronauts will orbit the moon and return, including Victor Glover and Christina Koch, the first black astronaut and first female astronaut, respectively.
The mission follows the success of Artemis 1, which launched uncrewed in 2022, and is NASA’s next step toward ultimately sending astronauts to Mars.
“The benefits of the Artemis program are technical, but they are also cultural,” Glover, a decorated U.S. Navy captain who has also been to the International Space Station, said in a 2024 NASA video. “What’s really meaningful to me is the inspiration that comes out of it, to inspire future generations to literally reach for the moon.”
Koch began his career as an engineer at NASA and continued his scientific research before becoming an astronaut in 2013, even serving on the International Space Station.
“One of the things I’m most excited about is that we’re taking your excitement, aspirations and dreams with you on this mission,” Koch said at a 2023 press conference where the mission’s astronauts were announced.
Daniel Wood, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s School of Astronautics, said the mission builds on decades of NASA work, including lessons learned from past failed efforts.
“NASA has been thinking about 20 years worth of thought throughout this entire process: preparing the government to focus on these more challenging next-generation missions and do things that haven’t been proven yet,” Wood told CNBC.
Wood said he also appreciates NASA’s commitment to sending diverse astronauts into space that are “representative of society more broadly.” The space agency initially focused on military training for astronauts, but opening up those requirements led to exciting developments, she said.
“The fact remains that there are a lot of firsts and glass ceilings that Black women, Black men, and women in general have to break through,” Wood added.
The mission will involve more than just an exploratory trip to the moon, she said. NASA will conduct scientific research on astronaut health, rockets, and lunar science. Wood said the mission is also working with other countries such as Saudi Arabia and Germany as part of a “goodwill” agreement to pool resources for lunar research.
“This is just one step towards this larger new form of operation,” she said.
Space historian Amy Sheila Teitel, who has studied the universe for more than 20 years, said Artemis II is the beginning of the next chapter in NASA’s research.
“This is the beginning of a new era of departure from low Earth orbit, something we haven’t done since 1972,” she told CNBC. “This is still an important step because ultimately you will have information that you can apply to whatever your next step is.”
Still, Teitel questions whether the launch is the first step toward a permanent presence on the moon. Teitel said the mission’s rocket launch was “widely seen as a huge adventure” due to budget constraints, repeated launch delays and complex political factors.
This continues even as the space sector – and returns to the Moon – become increasingly crowded.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX announced earlier this month that it would shift its efforts from exploring Mars to exploring the Moon. Texas-based rocket and spacecraft manufacturer firefly aerospace Space startup based in Houston intuitive machine Both sent spacecraft to the moon.
And NASA plans to retire the International Space Station in favor of smaller space stations focused on the Moon and Mars, which would be costly. The U.S. Senate also advanced legislation to support NASA’s progress and create thousands of aerospace jobs, particularly in Alabama, where Marshall Space Flight Center is located.
While the launch of Artemis II is an important step in NASA’s history, Teitel said he chooses to remain cautiously optimistic about the future of space exploration despite the hurdles.
“There are a lot of challenges with this program right now that come from policy, not astronauts or engineers. It just stems from the fact that space is so complex, so politically entrenched, so expensive, and it’s hard to be so excited about this as a next step when everything else feels so tenuous,” Teitel said.
