With the utilization of new technology, NASA's mission is to send humans back to the Moon for the first time since the conclusion of the Apollo missions in 1972.

NASA's Artemis 2 mission

NASA's Artemis program is an ambitious effort to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon and prepare for deep space exploration, including a mission to Mars. The program is named after the Greek goddess of the Moon and includes several planned missions with various objectives.

The first mission, Artemis 1, completed in December 2021, was an uncrewed test flight of the Orion spacecraft. The spacecraft successfully completed a journey of over 25 days around the Moon and returned safely to Earth. The mission tested critical systems that will be used in future manned missions, including the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the most powerful rocket ever built by NASA.

The next mission, Artemis 2, is scheduled to take place in late November 2024 and will fly a four-person crew around the Moon. However, the mission will not involve a landing on the lunar surface.One of the crew members is expected to be a Canadian astronaut. The mission is critical for testing the spacecraft and systems needed for future manned missions, including the SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft.

Artemis 3, scheduled for about 12 months after Artemis 2, will be the first manned mission to land on the south pole of the Moon. This is a significant milestone as previous missions only landed on the Moon's equatorial region. The south pole region is of particular interest to NASA as it contains vast deposits of water ice that could potentially be used to support a long-term human presence on the Moon.

Despite NASA's plan to land on the Moon's south pole, there are significant challenges to overcome. One of the biggest challenges is developing a lunar lander that can carry astronauts from the lunar orbit to the lunar surface and back. NASA has partnered with private companies, including SpaceX, to develop and build lunar landers that meet the program's requirements. Additionally, new spacesuits are being developed that will allow astronauts to explore the lunar surface more effectively.

The Artemis program is not just about exploring the Moon but also about promoting diversity in space exploration. As part of the program, NASA plans to send a woman and a person of color to the Moon for the first time. Only twelve people, all of them white men, have set foot on the Moon, and NASA aims to change that with the Artemis program.

The Artemis program is a significant undertaking, and NASA is making progress towards achieving its goals. However, there are still significant challenges to overcome, including developing the necessary hardware and managing the program's budget. Despite these challenges, the Artemis program represents a major step forward in human space exploration and is likely to pave the way for future missions to Mars and beyond.