nasa visit moon

NASA's Artemis 2 moon mission: Live updates

Nasa's artemis 2 mission is returning astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972. see live mission updates here..

You can launch a Space Launch System of your own with this Estes NASA SLS model rocket for a 1:200 scale version of NASA's moon megarocket. Read more about it .

NASA's Artemis 2 lunar mission in 2024 will send the first astronauts around the moon in nearly 50 years. The mission will launch four astronauts around the moon on a lunar flyby aboard an Orion spacecraft using a Space Launch System rocket. 

Artemis 2 is an eight day mission that will send three NASA astronauts and one Canadian Space Agency astronaut around the moon on a free-return trajectory. It is the last test flight before the Artemis 3 crewed moon landing mission in 2025.

See our complete coverage of the Artemis 1 mission below.

Meet the Artemis 2 crew | Artemis 2 explained |   Latest news

Tariq Malik is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and has been covering human spaceflight for more than 18 years and space exploration overall for more than 20 years. He covered the final 22 space shuttle missions and NASA's ongoing International Space Station and Artemis program. 

Elizabeth Howell first became interested in space after watching the movie "Apollo 13" as a teenager in 1996, kickstarting a lifelong fascination with the 1960s and 1970s human lunar landing program. She has watched five human spaceflight launches since and participated in a simulated Mars mission.

that time when 3 moon astronauts once flew, supersonic-style, by a NASA lunar rocket on the pad

Artemis 2 commander Reid Wiseman helped organize a special event in 2022: he was part of a group of astronauts flying the famous T-38 jet trainers past the Artemis 1 SLS on the launch pad on Aug. 23, 2022. 

Nobody knew it back then, but three of the four Artemis 2 crew were in the tight formation: Wiseman, NASA mission specialist  Christina Koch  and  Canadian Space Agency  mission specialist  Jeremy Hansen . (Only absent was NASA pilot  Victor Glover , who was away on other duties at the time.)

Read more: What's it like to buzz an Artemis SLS moon rocket with a supersonic jet? NASA's Artemis 2 commander tells all

Artemis 2 moon astronauts meet President Biden

NASA's Artemis 2  moon crew, led by  NASA , met with U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday (Dec. 14) and talked with reporters afterwards about the support Biden is offering for the historic mission, the first to fly to  the moon  with humans since 1972.

The crew talked to Biden "about their training and science plans for the mission, set to launch in late 2024," according to a small update on  NASA HQ Photo's X account  (formerly Twitter). Aside from Wiseman, the Artemis 2 astronauts include NASA pilot  Victor Glover  (the first person of color to leave  low Earth orbit ), NASA mission specialist  Christina Koch  (the first woman) and  Canadian Space Agency  astronaut  Jeremy Hansen  (the first non-American).

Read more: Artemis 2 astronauts meet President Biden to talk America's next trip to the moon

Artemis 2 moon mission hardware building up at NASA centers

NASA's Artemis 2  mission remains on track to send four astronauts around the  moon in late 2024. The crew is continuing their training while the hardware that will carry them to space — the Orion capsule and giant  Space Launch System  (SLS) rocket — is being readied at different  NASA  centers.

Read more: NASA building giant Artemis 2 moon rocket ahead of 2024 launch

Artemis 2 astronauts autograph moon rocket

The  Artemis 2  crew signed their names Monday (Nov. 27) on the adapter for their  Orion spacecraft , which will be mounted on top of the massive  Space Launch System  (SLS) rocket. The rocket will send them around the moon in 2024.

The four astronauts, wearing cleanroom outfits, were visiting NASA's  Marshall Space Flight Center  in Huntsville, Alabama. The  adapter will be under Orion during the launch, the first human one to the moon since 1972.

Read more: Artemis 2 moon astronauts autograph their own rocket 1 year before launch

Canadian Space Agency names backup astronaut for Artemis 2

The  Canadian Space Agency  may bring the third Canadian woman into space as soon as 2024, should she be needed for a moon mission.

Fire scientist Jenni Gibbons was named Tuesday (Nov. 22) as backup for  Jeremy Hansen , the CSA astronaut flying around the moon with  Artemis 2  in 2024. The CSA is a signatory to the NASA -led Artemis Accords that has two purposes: peaceful space exploration norms and for some participants, moon missions.

That wasn't the only big space news for CSA on Tuesday. Canada typically receives missions every six years based on its ISS contributions, and current spacecraft capacity. The next long-duration mission will be with Joshua Kutryk, a test pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force, will fly on the first operational  Boeing  Starliner mission in 2025 for a half-year mission to the ISS.

Read more:   Canada assigns astronauts to launch on Boeing's Starliner, back up Artemis 2 moon mission

Artemis 2 readies for astronaut moon launch 1 year after Artemis 1

Space fans, get ready to start your moon engines.

NASA's  Artemis 1  uncrewed  moon  mission  lifted off  from NASA's  Kennedy Space Center  (KSC) in Florida on Nov. 16, 2022. One year later, the next moon  rocket  ride for astronauts is in testing for a new mission that could launch in late 2024.

The crewed mission, known as  Artemis 2 , will send four astronauts around the moon. As the quartet continue their complex training, their  Space Launch System  (SLS) rocket, side boosters,  Orion spacecraft  and other key elements are under assembly in various parts of the United States.

Read more: 1 year after Artemis 1 launch, NASA readies Artemis 2 to shoot for the moon again (video)

Artemis 2 moon spacecraft powers on ahead of 2024 mission

The  Orion spacecraft  for  Artemis 2 powered on this week successfully ahead of its historic moon  mission with four astronauts in 2024.

Seeing power flow to Orion was a large milestone following the moment when the American-made crew module and European Service Module (ESM) joined at NASA's  Kennedy Space Center  in mid-October, according to the  European Space Agency  (ESA).

Once ready, Orion will carry  NASA 's  Reid Wiseman ,  Victor Glover ,  Christina Koch  and the  Canadian Space Agency 's  Jeremy Hansen , who are undergoing 18 months of training to get ready for the first human moon mission in 52 years.

Read more: NASA powers up Artemis 2 Orion spacecraft ahead of 2024 moon mission

Boosters assemble! Artemis 2 moon rockets come together in new video

An astronaut moon rocket comes together at NASA in a new epic video.

Twin rocket boosters for  Artemis 2 , now being assembled at NASA's  Kennedy Space Center , will assist the agency's powerful  Space Launch System  rocket as it sends four astronauts on a round-the- moon mission in 2024.

You can watch KSC teams piece together parts of each booster's aft assembly – the booster part that steers them during flight.

Read more: Watch NASA build Artemis 2 astronaut moon rocket boosters ahead of 2024 launch (video)

Canadian astronaut ready for the moon, his first mission in space

After 15 years waiting for space, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen  is getting ready for the moon . He is one of the mission specialists aboard  Artemis 2 , which aims to launch four astronauts in 2024, and says the first seven months of training for the NASA mission is reinforcing to him all the years of experience he already has in assisting with human space missions and space policy.

"The only thing that does feel different is that there is this personal aspect of, 'I've been working to actually fly in space and do the astronaut aspects'," Hansen told Space.com in an exclusive 30-minute interview on Friday (Oct. 27.) "It does feel like it's getting closer, and much closer, than it's ever felt before. So there is that sense, and that is really fun for me."

Read more: Artemis 2 moon astronaut says crew is ready for ambitious 2024 mission

Artemis 2 mobile launcher soaked in 'water flow test'

The mobile launcher for Artemis 2 , a big moon mission, got soaked Tuesday (Oct. 24) in a mission safety test ahead of the 2024 mission.

The mobile launcher that will be used to launch the powerful  Space Launch System  rocket had a "water flow test", the third at NASA's  Kennedy Space Center  to "verify the overpressure protection and sound suppression system is ready for launch," NASA officials wrote in  a brief statement  Thursday (Oct. 26).

"During liftoff, 400,000 gallons (1.5 million liters) of water will rush onto the pad to help protect NASA's SLS rocket,  Orion spacecraft , mobile launcher, and launch pad from any over pressurization and extreme sound produced during ignition and liftoff," agency officials added.

Read more: Watch NASA's Artemis 2 mobile rocket launcher get soaked during water deluge test (video)

Orion spacecraft for Artemis astronaut moon mission assembled

NASA's astronaut moon spacecraft is under assembly. The  Orion spacecraft  for  Artemis 2 's round-the- moon  mission in 2024 had its crew and service modules joined at  NASA  on Oct. 19. 

More tests are planned on the joined pieces, including power-on examinations and altitude chamber testing. It's a significant milestone for the mission that will carry four astronauts to lunar realms in just over a year.

Read more: Artemis 2 Orion spacecraft comes together ahead of 2024 moon mission (photos)

NASA shows off Artemis moon astronauts' electric car for launch pad rides

NASA recently displayed the shiny inside of its new fleet of astronaut cars from Canoo Technologies Inc., all assigned to the  Artemis program . It was the first look at the interior ahead of the debut crew  Artemis 2 , using the all-electric vehicles to get the the launch pad for their round-the-moon mission starting in 2024.

The moon  crew's car interior came to light at a racing event: The Formula 1 (F1) Grand Prix of the United States in Austin, Texas between Oct. 20 and 22. Artemis 2 astronauts  Reid Wiseman  (from  NASA ) and  Jeremy Hansen  (from the  Canadian Space Agency ) also were there on Oct. 22 talking with some of the racing companies.

Read more: NASA's Artemis moon astronauts will ride to the launch pad in these sleek electric cars (photos)

Artemis 2 core stage faces welding issues: report

While Artemis 2 remains on track for its round-the-moon mission with astronauts in 2024, welding issues on the core stage of its massive rocket are ongoing, a report suggests.

The Space Launch System  (SLS) rocket's core stage, expected to launch the four-astronaut  Artemis 2  around  the moon , is facing unspecified "weld issues" during assembly at NASA's  Marshall Space Flight Center  in Alabama. The issue was reported in  NASA Spaceflight and NASA did not immediately respond to queries from Space.com about the matter.

Read more: Welding issues stall Artemis 2 moon rocket's assembly, but 2024 mission still on track: report

How Artemis 2 moon astronauts will live in space

The Artemis 2 astronauts and other personnel are testing living activities the crew will do on the 10-day moon mission, including sleeping, eating and of course, going to the bathroom. The four astronauts will spend all of their time in the Orion spacecraft , learning how to live and work together in a small space.

Read more: Here's how Artemis 2 astronauts will exercise, sleep and use the toilet on their moon mission (photos)

Artemis 2 moon astronauts rehearse for launch day

The  Artemis 2  moon astronauts practiced for launch day at NASA's  Kennedy Space Center  in Florida on Wednesday (Sept. 20), complete with spacesuits and a drive to the launch pad to ascend the mobile launcher.

"I just had images of all those Apollo launches and shuttle launches that I saw as a kid and it was unreal," Artemis 2 pilot Victor Glover said in a NASA statement . "I actually had to stop and just stay in the moment to really let it all sink in."

Aboard the round-the- moon mission, slated to launch in late 2024, will be  NASA  commander  Reid Wiseman , NASA pilot  Victor Glover  (the first person of color to leave  Earth  orbit), NASA mission specialist  Christina Koch  (the first woman to do so) and the  Canadian Space Agency 's  Jeremy Hansen  (the first non-American).

Read more: Artemis 2 astronaut crew suits up for moon launch dress rehearsal (photos, video)

Artemis 2 moon astronauts do splashdown training with US Navy

The Artemis 2  astronauts worked with the U.S. Navy team recently on splashdown operations. The Navy and NASA are training to recover the four-person crew, which will circle around the moon no earlier than November 2024, after they complete their 10-day mission.

While the crew familiarized themselves with the team and procedures, NASA and the Department of Defense practiced recovery operations nearby San Diego using equipment such as helicopters, boats and the USS John P. Murtha.

Read more: See Artemis 2 moon astronauts train with US Navy for Orion splashdown (photos, video)

NASA finishes first practice countdown for Artemis 2

The  Artemis 2  launching team at NASA recently finished their first dress rehearsal to send four astronauts safely into space to go around the moon.

This crucial "sim" is one of many that NASA will do for the November 2024 mission. The mission includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

Read more: NASA practices for 2024 launch of Artemis 2 moon mission

Artemis 2 astronauts deep in moon training

The first moon crew in 52 years, Artemis 2 , includes a lot of diversity. They've been to the International Space Station , the U.S. Senate, in combat and in many other locations. 

Now as the foursome  — NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen — get ready for the moon , lead training officer Jacki Mahaffey told Space.com how she is using their experience in training.

Read more: How Artemis 2 astronauts are training for their 2024 moon mission

Artemis 2 crew member praises NASA supersonic jet

A moon astronaut recently honored the decades of supersonic trainer work that NASA has put in with its T-38s.

Artemis 2  Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut  Jeremy Hansen  praised the supersonic T-38 trainer jet for its ability to keep astronauts on their toes while in flight. "We use these airplanes because they're challenging," Hansen  said in a video  released Tuesday (July 18) on the CSA's social media channels. 

Manufacturer  Northrop Grumman says  more than 72,000 U.S. Air Force pilots have trained in the T-38 since it first rolled off the line in 1961. Though it was only manufactured until 1972, more than 500 continue to be used by both the Air Force and NASA.

Read more: Artemis 2 moon astronaut explains risk of flying NASA's supersonic training jet

3 Orion spacecraft line up for their moon missions

Three crew-carrying spacecraft are getting ready for their big moon missions.

The  Orion  capsules for the Artemis 2, Artemis 3 and Artemis 4  moon  missions are coming together at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida under stewardship of contractor Lockheed Martin.

"The future of @NASA_Orion is looking pretty good," Lockheed officials  wrote on Twitter  Friday (July 14) of the three spacecraft, each of which is expected to ferry astronauts to the moon starting in late 2024 or so. 

Read more: These 3 Orion spacecraft will carry Artemis astronauts to the moon (photo) 

Artemis 2 astronaut plays cowboy at Calgary Stampede

Canadian  Artemis 2  moon astronaut Jeremy Hansen, partnering with his  borrowed horse Cisco , pretended to be a cowboy at Canada's Calgary Stampede fair last week in the western province of Alberta. 

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, who flew on the space shuttle Columbia in 1986 while a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, also visited the event. The two appeared in flight suits and cowboy hats as part of the celebration of cowboy culture, which annually draws a million participants.

Read more: Yeehaw! NASA chief and Artemis 2 moon astronaut play cowboy for a day (photo)

Artemis 2 astronaut completes vision quest

An Artemis 2 astronaut recently finished a vision quest to help prepare for his upcoming trip around the moon.

Jeremy Hansen recently participated in the four-day Indigenous rite of passage as part of  Artemis 2  mission training, the  Canadian Space Agency  astronaut tweeted.

"I would like to express my gratitude to Anishinaabe Elder David Courchene III 'Sabe' for the gracious invitation," Hansen  said of the ceremony , which took place at Turtle Lodge in Manitoba on the lands of the Sagkeeng First Nation (also known as Fort Alexander).

On Tuesday (June 13), Hansen added he has completed the ceremony and "I have a renewed appreciation for all that Mother Earth provides, especially water."

Read more: Artemis 2 astronaut goes on vision quest to prepare for moon mission

Artemis 2 mission benefits from Canadian winter experience

Cold weather is helping to boost the fortunes of Canada in space, including its contributions to Artemis 2 .

Astronaut Jeremy Hansen will the first non-American to leave low Earth orbit, alongside three NASA crewmates, no earlier than 2024. Canadian leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau argues that Canada's winter experience is one big reason for its success in space.

Trudeau emphasized that working in Canada's north helped with numerous kinds of technology, including the Canadarm robotic arm series that has provided Canadian astronaut seats for nearly 40 years.

The Arctic in particular represents "some of the harshest environments" available to humans, and Trudeau joked that when asked about why Canada does so well in space, he responds: "Obvious. Winter."

Read more: Winter is coming: Artemis 2 moon mission gets boost from Canadian cold

Artemis 2 astronauts thrilled for moon mission

The four astronauts of NASA's Artemis 2 mission are thrilled, to say the least, to be on the crew that will send the first humans to the moon in more than 50 years. You can read our full story here . 

Set to launch on a Space Launch System megarocket in 2024, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency will fly around the moon, much like Apollo 8, on their Orion spacecraft. 

Here's what they had to say of the mission today:

Commander Reid Wiseman: "This is a global effort, Artemis 2, and it's only going to get larger with Artemis 3 and beyond as we get private spaceflight involved. SpaceX is building our lander for Artemis 3. So to the NASA workforce, to our program managers, our center directors that are here, the amazing political support that we feel right now to bring our country together to bring our entire world together to go explore to get to Mars and beyond, we say a huge thank you."

Pilot Victor Glover: " We need to celebrate this moment in human history. Because Artemis two is more than a mission to the moon and it's more than a mission that has to happen before we send people to the surface of the moon. It is the next step on the journey that gets humanity to Mars. "Human spaceflight is like a relay race, and that baton has been passed generation to generation and from crew member to crew member from the Gemini, Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Apollo Soyuz, Skylab Mir, the shuttle, International Space Station, commercial crew and and now the Artemis missions. We understand our role in that. And when we have the privilege of having that baton. We're going to do our best to run a good race to make you proud. I pray that God will bless this mission. But I also pray that we can continue to serve as a source of inspiration for cooperation and peace, not just between nations, but in our own nation." 

Mission specialist Christina Koch:  "When I think about this mission, that's a relay race with international partners, it's all so awesome in and of itself. 

"We are going to launch for Kennedy Space Center to the work of the exploration Ground Systems team. We're going to hear the words go for launch on top of the most powerful rocket NASA's ever made the Space Launch System, and we're gonna ride that rocket for eight minutes into Earth orbit. We're not going to go to the moon right away. We're gonna stay in an amazing high orbit, reaching a peak of tens of thousands of miles while we test out all the systems on Orion and see how it maneuvers in space. And then if everything was good, we're heading to the moon.

"It will be a four day journey, going a quarter of a million miles, continuing to test out every bit of Orion going around the far side of the moon, heading home going through the Earth's atmosphere at over 25,000 miles per hour and splashing down in the Pacific. So am I excited? Absolutely. But my real question is Are you excited? I asked that because the one thing I'm most excited about is that we are going to carry your excitement, your aspirations, your dreams with us on this mission. Artemis to your mission."

Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen: "Our scientists or engineers, the Canadian Space Agency, the Canadian Armed Forces across government, all of our leadership working together under a vision to take step by step and all of those have added up to this moment where a Canadian is going to the moon with our international partnership and it is glorious."

Artemis 2 Moon Astronauts Revealed!

NASA chief Bill Nelson has unveiled the first astronaut crew to visit the moon in more than 50 years. They Artemis 2 crew are:

Commander Reid Wiseman, NASA

Reid Wiseman, 47, spent 165 days in Earth orbit on his first mission, a 2014 flight to the ISS. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, and former fighter pilot for the U.S. Navy, he was selected for NASA's 20th astronaut class in 2009. Wiseman recently served as chief of NASA's astronaut office from 2020 to 2022.

Pilot Victor Glover, NASA

Victor Glover, 46, became a NASA astronaut in 2013. He flew as pilot of SpaceX's first operational crewed spaceflight (Crew-1) and logged 167 days on the ISS in 2021. Born in Pomona, California, he is an engineer and captain in the U.S. Navy. Glover was the first Black astronaut to serve on a space station crew.

Mission Specialist Christina Koch, NASA

Christina Koch, 44, was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and raised in Jacksonville, North Carolina. A member of NASA's 21st astronaut class selected in 2013, Koch set a record aboard the International Space Station for the single longest mission by a woman at 328 days. During that 2019 stay, she was also one-half of the first-ever all-female spacewalk. Koch is an engineer and former U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) station chief.

Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Canadian Space Agency

Jeremy Hansen, 47, was chosen to join Canada's astronaut corps in 2009. A colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force, he was born in London, Ontario. Though Artemis 2 will be his first time in space, Hansen served as an aquanaut aboard the Aquarius underwater lab in 2014 and took a turn as a "cavenaut" as part of the European Space Agency's CAVES astronaut training course the year prior.

NASA Artemis 2 moon crew announcement underway

NASA's Artemis 2 moon astronaut crew reveal is underway live on NASA TV. 

Speaking before a huge crowd at the Ellington Field in Houston, NASA's chief astronaut Joe Acaba began by inviting the entire astronaut corps to the stage. 

"Your Artemis 2 astronauts are in the room with you ... I am not one of them," he said. 

Canada's Prime Minister François-Philippe Champagne hailed the 60 year partnership of NASA + CSA and Canada's contribution of the CanadArm3 for the Gateway station around the moon: "We're going to the moon!" he cheered.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson is now preparing to introduce the crew.

NASA to announce Artemis 2 crew today

At long last, we're going to learn which astronauts will fly NASA's first crewed mission to the moon of the Artemis generation. 

Today, April 3, NASA and the Canadian Space Agency will announce the four astronauts who will fly on the Artemis 2 mission around the moon in 2024. That crew is expected to include one Canadian astronaut and three NASA astronaut s, but exactly who is yet to be revealed. 

NASA will announce the crew in an event at Ellington Field near the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT). Space.com staff writer Elizabeth Howell is on scene at the event alongside contributor Robert Pearlman of collectSPACE.com. 

You'll be able to watch it live on Space.com , as well as at the top of this page at start time.

While we wait, here's a nifty trailer from NASA for today's Artemis 2 crew reveal.

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Fifty years ago, on December 19, 1972, the Apollo 17 astronauts splashed down in the Pacific. They were the last humans to visit the Moon —and the last to be more than 400 miles from the Earth. Since that date, astronauts have only been in low Earth orbit. It is thus richly symbolic that NASA’s Artemis I mission had its own Pacific splashdown recently, during Apollo 17’s 50th-anniversary celebration. It was, of course, only an uncrewed test of the space agency’s new lunar craft. Humans will not fly around the Moon for two to three years. Why has it taken more than five decades to send humans back to the Moon?

It was certainly not Apollo 17 commander Eugene Cernan ’s expectation when he stepped off the lunar surface for the last time on December 14, 1972 . He was aware, as was everyone in the space agency, that lean times were ahead. Two years earlier, NASA had deleted Apollos 18 and 19 to save money and focus on the Space Shuttle. Congress and two presidential administrations had been cutting NASA’s budget since 1967 as the Vietnam War, poverty, urban problems, and environmental crises made the space program less and less popular. Once Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped on the surface in July 1969, many Americans wondered why we didn’t stop. We had beaten the Soviets and proved American technological superiority—the fundamental purpose of Project Apollo. Although the later landings yielded a huge scientific haul of samples and data, the public did not much care about lunar science’s value to understanding solar system history. It seemed like a waste of billions of dollars to voters preoccupied with other problems. Thus, Cernan knew it could be two decades before a new human lunar program would be feasible. But it was hard to believe that American astronauts wouldn’t make it back before the end of the century.

When the Apollo 17 astronauts splashed down successfully in the Pacific Ocean on December 19, 1972, it was the last time humans had visited the Moon. (Image courtesy of NASA)

The Space Shuttle finally orbited in 1981, after thin NASA budgets and challenging new technologies caused years of delay. With a new, space enthusiast president in office, Ronald Reagan, NASA leadership set about pushing what they had always believed was the “next logical step” to a sustainable space infrastructure, a space station. The shuttle had been sold to the Nixon administration as a way to make spaceflight much cheaper (a promise never fulfilled), but it was originally supposed to be a crew and cargo transport vehicle to a permanent space base. In late 1983, Reagan approved what eventually became the International Space Station (ISS).

It fell to his successor, George H.W. Bush, to propose sending humans back to the Moon and on to Mars. Bush spoke on the steps of our Museum on July 20, 1989: the 20th anniversary of Armstrong and Aldrin’s historic first Moonwalk. But his Space Exploration Initiative was short-lived. NASA’s 90-day study produced a politically toxic estimate of half a trillion dollars to establish a Moon base and land humans on Mars. Congress quickly lost interest.

As it was, the agency was preoccupied with keeping the shuttle flying after recovering from the Challenger disaster of 1986, while advancing a space station project already years late and billions over budget. The year 1990 saw major technical embarrassments, notably the discovery that the newly launched Hubble Space Telescope had a flawed mirror. Politicians and the media attacked NASA as bloated and bureaucratic, leading to cost overruns and failures. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War also undercut one of the civil space program’s key rationales. The space station came within one vote of being canceled in 1992 and was only politically safe after the Clinton administration merged it with the tottering Russian program to create the ISS in 1993-1994.  Although the Cold War’s end ushered in an era of stagnant NASA budgets, it did have the ironic effect of saving the station, based on the argument that it would keep Russian rocket engineers from working for Iran, Iraq, or North Korea. Going back to the Moon was not on the agenda.

The next attempt came after the second shuttle disaster, that of Columbia in 2003. Criticisms of NASA, beyond those specific to the accident, focused on a human space program that seemed to have little direction beyond keeping the shuttle and ISS alive. In response, President George W. Bush announced the Vision for Space Exploration in early 2004. The shuttle would be phased out once the ISS was complete. NASA would create new vehicles to go back to the Moon and on to Mars. Then, as now, the agency argued that we needed to develop at the Moon the experience and technology necessary to go to the Red Planet. NASA created the Constellation Program, which was to put Americans on the Moon by the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11—2019. But it was predicated on the shuttle program ending sooner than it did, freeing up money. Constellation was underfunded and soon fell behind schedule, producing cost overruns. President Barack Obama canceled it soon after coming into office.

That leads us to the last, and in many ways, most unusual part of the story. Constellation’s cancellation did not actually kill the human lunar program. Democratic and Republican senators, particularly those from states with NASA centers or industries tied to the human space program, banded together. They funded a giant booster and a spacecraft based on Constellation designs and shuttle technologies. Thus the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft emerged in the early 2010s. But they had no clear destination. Eventually, Congress directed NASA to build a small station in lunar orbit and develop the capability to land and create a Moon base. Under the Trump administration, the program got a name, Artemis (the sister of Apollo in Greek mythology), and a new objective: carry out a landing by 2024. While that date was never realistic, it put Artemis on a path that has continued under the Biden administration. After 50 years, the United States again has a sustained program to send astronauts back to the Moon.

Project Artemis gives the United States a sustained program to send astronauts back to the Moon, after 50 years. (Image courtesy of NASA)

Why for over 40 years was there no such program and why has one emerged in the last decade? The answers are rooted in money, national prestige, and space program jobs. Apollo’s success undercut the logic of a program based primarily on Cold War competition; the failure of the Soviets to send any cosmonauts to the Moon only reinforced the disinterest in more missions. In an era of cutbacks, just building a presence in low Earth orbit became NASA’s only feasible human spaceflight program. The attempts of the two Bush presidencies to change that dynamic ran into a lack of support in the public and the political class for greatly increasing the agency’s budget.

What changed after 2010? The shuttle program’s end in 2011 freed up budget money but threatened massive layoffs in NASA centers and the aerospace industry. Congress wanted to sustain jobs in key states and felt that the human spaceflight program needed a higher purpose than just keeping ISS operational. Artemis has thus continued without a broad popular mandate or clear international competition, contradicting the pattern of the previous 40 years. China is mounting a space program that now includes robotic lunar and Mars probes, a permanent space station, and ambitions to build a Moon base. Competition with a foreign power may again become a major factor in the future, helping to sustain Artemis, but has not been critical so far.

The Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I mission successfully splashed down on December 11, 2022. (Image courtesy of NASA)

How will the American public react when astronauts go back to the Moon? Undoubtedly with excitement, just as there was in the 1960s. But what happens afterward? Will the public quickly lose interest, as it did after Apollo, and even if that happens, will it matter? Is there now a political base to keep Artemis in business at some level? Given the pattern of the last decade, I would say yes. Whatever happens, I look forward to humans once again traveling to the Moon in the next few years, whether on Artemis II or SpaceX’s Starship, both of which may fly there by 2025.

Michael J. Neufeld is a Senior Curator in the Space History Department and the lead curator of the "Destination Moon" gallery.

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NASA is set to return to the moon. Here are 4 reasons to go back

Scott Neuman

Astronaut Charlie M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, is photographed collecting lunar samples during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity at the Descartes landing site. John W. Young/NASA hide caption

Astronaut Charlie M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, is photographed collecting lunar samples during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity at the Descartes landing site.

President John F. Kennedy delivered a famous speech in 1962 outlining his administration's challenge to land Americans on the moon. "We choose to go to the moon," he declared, not because it is easy, but because it is hard.

As difficult a technological feat as the Apollo moon program proved, within seven years NASA had met Kennedy's challenge and ultimately sent a dozen astronauts to the surface on six missions between 1969 and 1972 at a cost of about $25 billion — roughly $250 billion in today's dollars.

Artemis: NASA's New Chapter In Space

Sixty years after Kennedy's speech, NASA is again getting ready to send humans to the moon . Proving that rocket science is still hard, NASA will be making a third attempt on Wednesday to launch the uncrewed Artemis I after two previous launches were scrubbed due to technical issues. Once it finally gets off the ground, the mission will be the first test flight of the hardware that will be used to send astronauts in the next few years.

No doubt, many people are wondering: Why go back?

There's a lot of science to be done on the moon

The rock samples brought back by Apollo astronauts decades ago taught scientists a lot about the geologic history of Earth and the moon .

What can be gathered by today's astronauts could tell us even more, says David Kring, a lunar geologist at the Center for Lunar Science & Exploration in Houston, Texas.

It's easier to set down a spacecraft near the moon's equator, so that's where all six Apollo landings occurred. But now, NASA has more ambitious aims.

In August, just ahead of the first launch attempt, NASA announced 13 possible landing sites , each in the south pole region, where water ice has been confirmed deep inside craters that never see sunlight. A crewed lunar flyby, Artemis II, is anticipated for 2024. And the first crewed landing, Artemis III, could come as early as 2025.

A rendering of 13 candidate landing regions for Artemis III. Each region is approximately 9.3 miles by 9.3 miles. A landing site is a location within those regions with an approximate 328-foot radius. NASA hide caption

A rendering of 13 candidate landing regions for Artemis III. Each region is approximately 9.3 miles by 9.3 miles. A landing site is a location within those regions with an approximate 328-foot radius.

The sites "are some of the best places to go for lunar geology and understanding lunar ice and sampling lunar ice," says Bethany Ehlmann, associate director of the Keck Institute for Space Studies at the California Institute of Technology.

The Artemis Moon mission moves NASA into new era of space exploration

Kring calls the lunar south pole region "absolutely extraordinary geologic terrain."

"If you really want to understand the origin of the evolution of the solar system, there is no better place ... to go [than] the moon," Kring says. Because the moon has never had an atmosphere or flowing water, it is not subject to weathering and erosion and has thus preserved evidence of its origin, he says.

As technology has steadily improved in the decades since Apollo, the level of detail on the moon's surface revealed by such probes as the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter "is so extraordinary that we've already identified rocks on the lunar surface that we want the astronauts to collect," Kring says.

Illustration of SpaceX Starship human lander design that will carry the first Artemis astronauts to the surface of the moon. SpaceX hide caption

Illustration of SpaceX Starship human lander design that will carry the first Artemis astronauts to the surface of the moon.

Having astronaut boots on the moon has other advantages, too, says Craig Hardgrove, an associate professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University. He considers himself "a huge fan of robotic exploration," but nonetheless acknowledges that rovers and landers are limited by the scientific instruments they carry with them. They also have a harder time capturing as much data on the detailed geologic context and landscape as an astronaut trained in geology can.

Humans, by contrast, "are able to collect a large number of samples much quicker than robots," says Hardgrove, who is principal investigator of the Lunar Polar Hydrogen Mapper ( LunaH-Map ) mission, set to launch aboard the Artemis I rocket. The shoebox-size probe aims to pinpoint the location of polar ice deposits.

With astronauts selecting the best samples and bringing them home, laboratories and universities can examine them with a wider range of sophisticated tools, he says. "If we can bring them back to Earth, I think we have a much better shot at answering even more questions than we can if we're limited to rovers."

It's a stepping stone to Mars

Mars is at least 200 times farther from Earth than the moon, which means an enormous challenge in keeping astronauts safe from such things as radiation exposure, Hardgrove says.

"The launch windows to get to Mars are once every two years," he says. "So, we would be thinking about keeping our astronauts on the surface of Mars for a long period of time. I personally feel like we would be doing them a service and everyone a service if we test out all these technologies on the moon first."

This image of the parachute that helped deliver NASA's Perseverance Mars rover to the Martian surface was taken by the rover's Mastcam-Z instrument in April. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS hide caption

This image of the parachute that helped deliver NASA's Perseverance Mars rover to the Martian surface was taken by the rover's Mastcam-Z instrument in April.

Apollo was mostly about beating the Soviet Union to the moon. It succeeded, but there was no long-term plan to create a sustainable human presence there.

Artemis could change that, says Clive Neal, a professor of civil and environmental engineering and Earth sciences at the University of Notre Dame. He's especially keen to see a gradual shift toward a permanent human presence on the moon.

Given that SpaceX, a commercial venture, has been chosen to provide the vehicle that will land Artemis astronauts on the lunar surface, that prospect may not be as far off as once thought.

"We need to build an infrastructure that's going to say, 'OK, we're going to have human permanence on the moon and transition to commercial operations there in the future,'" Neal says. "And we can have a blueprint then at the moon of how to do these things sustainably that can be applied to more distant destinations."

It could spur new technologies

Dozens of new technologies created to go into space and to the moon have also brought substantial benefits to people on Earth — spawning everything from hand-held computers to insulin pumps and freeze-dried food.

Artemis could spark similar innovations.

The core technology used in dialysis machines was first developed for NASA. Science Photo Library/Getty Images hide caption

A 2013 study commissioned by NASA estimates that commercial products emerging from the space agency's research return between $100 million and $1 billion annually to the U.S. economy. Many of those "spinoffs" had their origin in the Apollo program.

The Apollo Guidance Computer , for example, was a technological marvel of its day. It was an early demonstration of digital fly-by-wire technology that is used in modern passenger jets and military aircraft.

The Apollo 11 Moon Landing, 50 Years Later

Space spinoffs: the technology to reach the moon was put to use back on earth.

"We're still reaping the rewards of miniaturization of electronics that happened during Apollo," Neal says. "Think about mobile phones. This is a technology that maybe would not have happened without Apollo."

New flame-retardant fabrics first developed for spacesuits, to withstand very high temperatures and still remain lightweight, are found today in clothing to protect firefighters around the country.

A "super insulation" developed for NASA in the 1960s can now be "found hidden inside the walls and roofs of buildings, in cryogenic tanks and MRI machines, in winter gear, and in cases for electronic devices, among other applications," according to NASA.

It has the potential to inspire a generation of engineers and scientists

It's often said that the Apollo moonshot inspired thousands of new engineers and scientists. While numbers are impossible to quantify, according to a 2009 survey of 800 researchers , "the Moon landings deserve credit for motivating a large fraction of today's scientists ... who have published in Nature in the past three years."

Workers prepare the Psyche spacecraft inside a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., in April. After a delay, Psyche, which will enter orbit in space around an asteroid, is expected to launch next year. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Workers prepare the Psyche spacecraft inside a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., in April. After a delay, Psyche, which will enter orbit in space around an asteroid, is expected to launch next year.

With Artemis, "we're going to get nearly live video from the surface of the moon and people are going to start thinking about the moon as a real place," Hardgrove, of ASU, says.

"I think it can absolutely be inspirational, hopefully not just for people like me, but [also] people who may not be thinking about careers in space exploration or engineering," he says.

About the Event

General questions.

International Observe the Moon Night occurs annually in September or October, when the Moon is around first quarter. The first quarter Moon is great for late-afternoon and evening observing. 

Upcoming dates for International Observe the Moon Night:

• September 14, 2024
• October 4, 2025
• October 17, 2026

Though we encourage everyone to observe on a specific date each year, we understand that this date may not work for everyone. You are welcome to participate on a different day. Participation can mean looking at the Moon, learning about lunar science and exploration, honoring personal and cultural connections to our nearest celestial neighbor, and more .  We encourage you to observe as close to the official date as possible, because we select dates that are close to a first-quarter Moon, which is visible in the afternoon and evening ― a convenient time for most hosts and participants.

Yes! Visit our  Multimedia  collection to browse graphics and other resources, including: 

• Save the Date Postcard  
• Press Release Template  (2024 edition will be published closer to the event date)
• Video Trailer
• Social Media Shareables
• Official Logos and Style Guide
• Fillable Event Flyer

Yes! Here are some of our recommended activities . 

Please visit our Live Streams page for the most up-to-date information about telescope live feeds and other programming.

Here are some great places to start your search for in-person, socially distanced, and/or virtual help:

• The Solar System Ambassadors is a program that works with motivated volunteers around the country to share the latest science and discoveries of NASA’s space exploration missions by inspiring their community at local events. ( Check a database of local Solar System Ambassadors in your area .)
• The NASA Museum Alliance is a group of informal educators that is designed to help you navigate, find, or even create what you need to teach audiences about STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) topics. ( Check a map of local NASA Museum Alliance members .)
• The Night Sky Network connects local astronomy clubs with those interested in hosting events to bring the wonders of the universe to the public.

For additional help, we suggest reaching out to your local university astronomy departments or clubs to see if they will be operating in the fall; they may be able to assist you. Typically, university clubs are enthusiastic about public engagement and can speak to the current and cutting-edge science happening in their fields.

Follow these links to request a NASA astronaut or speaker .

Each year, we make maps of the Moon with sites that will be visible on International Observe the Moon Night.  The 2023 Moon Map is available here , and you can visit the  Event Materials  page for more resources. 2024 Moon Maps will be published closer to the event date. 

Looking for an interactive Moon map you can use any day of the year? Try NASA's Daily Moon Guide . 

Of course! Individual classes or groups can participate in whatever way best fits your needs, interests, and available resources. Or, you may wish to take an interdisciplinary approach and get the whole school involved.

A few ideas are listed here: Art teachers might feature or have students create Moon-inspired art. Music teachers might share Moon-inspired songs. History teachers might discuss or have students research the history of the Moon or space exploration. Social studies teachers might share Moon-related stories or traditions from cultures around the world. Language arts teachers and librarians might highlight Moon-inspired words, books, or poems. Science teachers might discuss lunar science and observation. Engineering classes might build lunar spacecraft models.

You may also be interested in this year's featured  activities and resource collections .

Please feel free to  reach out to us  with specific questions or suggestions.

Please use our  feedback form  to reach out to us.

More to Explore

WE ARE GOING

Forward to the moon.

“ President Donald Trump has asked NASA to accelerate our plans to return to the Moon and to land humans on the surface again by 2024. We will go with innovative new technologies and systems to explore more locations across the surface than was ever thought possible. This time, when we go to the Moon, we will stay. And then we will use what we learn on the Moon to take the next giant leap - sending astronauts to Mars ” —NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine

WHY ARE WE GOING?

NASA’s science, technology and human exploration activities touch every aspect of our lives here on Earth and we want to extend our presence to the farthest corners of the universe. In doing so, we will maintain America’s leadership in space.

Inspiration ▾

Inspiration for generations to come.

NASA’s Apollo Program was a stunning demonstration of the United States’ strength of will and its economic, political and technological power – a feat that inspired generations of young people. It was fuel to the fire of the American consciousness that brought on a revolution, not only in science and technology, but also in our passion for exploration and discovery.

Just as Apollo inspired a generation 50 years ago, NASA continues to inspire with feats of science and exploration today. If we bring together the capabilities and resources of our international and commercial partners to take us forward to the Moon and on to Mars, we will demonstrate to people around the world the power of a unified purpose. It will serve as an unparalleled and inspiring example of what humanity can do when it comes together to achieve a common goal for the common good.

Science ▾

More missions, more science.

The Moon is a treasure chest of science. The lunar samples returned during the Apollo Program dramatically changed our view of the solar system. Yet, we are just scratching the surface of knowledge about the Moon. We believe the poles of the Moon hold millions of tons of water ice. That ice represents power. It represents fuel. It represents science. The farther humans venture into space, the more important it becomes to manufacture materials and products with local resources. We know the Moon can tell us more about our own planet, and even our own sun. There is so much more to learn – knowledge we can acquire with a sustained human and robotic presence on the Moon.

Exploration ▾

Exploration for all humanity.

Exploration is in the DNA of our species – the desire to discover and inhabit distant worlds, whether across Earthly oceans or vast regions of space. It also is critical to the continuation of our species. Humanity must build a path to an Earth-independent existence.

Exploration of the Moon and Mars is intertwined. Our sustainable Moon to Mars exploration approach is reusable and repeatable. Over the next decade, we will build an open exploration architecture with as many capabilities that can be replicated as possible for missions to Mars. The Moon is a testbed for Mars. It provides an opportunity to demonstrate new technologies that could help build self-sustaining outposts off Earth.

Economy ▾

A new commercial market in deep space.

The next revolution will happen in space – a space economy built on mining, tourism, and scientific research that will power and empower future generations. Our investments in revolutionary, American-made technologies today fuel tomorrow’s innovation and space economy.

WHAT’S DIFFERENT?

We're going forward to the moon to stay.

More than 45 years since we last set foot on the Moon, our president has renewed the nation’s focus on expanding humanity’s presence beyond Earth. Space Policy Directive-1 provides the direction for NASA to organize more effectively government, commercial and international efforts to develop a permanent presence off Earth that generates new markets and opportunities, both scientific and economic.

• We are going quickly and sustainably with a reusable architecture.
• We are going with commercial and international partners to explore faster and explore more together.
• We will bring new knowledge and opportunities.
• We will use the resources of the Moon to enable farther exploration.
• We will prove out the technologies that will take us to Mars and beyond.

What is Artemis ?

She was the twin sister of Apollo and goddess of the Moon in Greek mythology. Now, she personifies our path to the Moon as the name of NASA's program to return astronauts to the lunar surface by 2024, including the first woman and the next man. When they land, our American astronauts will step foot where no human has ever been before: the Moon’s South Pole.

Working with U.S. companies and international partners, NASA will push the boundaries of human exploration forward to the Moon for this program. As a result of Artemis , NASA will be able to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon by 2028 to uncover new scientific discoveries, demonstrate new technological advancements, and lay the foundation for private companies to build a lunar economy.

With our goal of sending humans to Mars, Artemis is the first step to begin this next era of exploration.

HOW ARE WE GETTING THERE?

Forward to the Moon: NASA's Strategic Plan for Lunar Exploration (May 23, 2019) (9 MB PDF)

ORION SPACECRAFT

NASA is building a spacecraft to take astronauts to deep space that will usher in a new era of space exploration.

Orion will take us farther than we’ve gone before, and dock with the Gateway in orbit around the Moon. The spacecraft will carry up to four crew members and is designed to support astronauts traveling hundreds of thousands of miles from home, where getting back to Earth takes hours rather than days.

Both distance and duration demand Orion to have systems that can reliably operate far from home, be capable of keeping astronauts alive in case of emergencies and still be light enough that a rocket can launch it.

A Series of Challenging Missions

NASA will launch Orion on the agency’s powerful rocket, the Space Launch System, from a modernized spaceport at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On the first integrated mission, known as Artemis I, an uncrewed Orion will venture thousands of miles beyond the Moon over the course of about three weeks. A series of increasingly challenging missions with crew will follow including a test flight around the Moon before operational missions to the Gateway.

SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM NASA’s Space Launch System, or SLS, is a powerful, advanced rocket for a new era of human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit. With unprecedented power capabilities, SLS will launch astronauts aboard the agency’s Orion spacecraft on missions to explore deep space. SLS is designed to safely send humans to deep space and can support a variety of complex missions. It will also open new possibilities for payloads, including robotic scientific missions to places like Mars, Saturn and Jupiter. Offering more payload mass, volume capability and energy to speed missions through space than any other rocket. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts and large cargo to the Moon on a single mission. SLS is America’s rocket with more than 1,000 companies from across the U.S. and every NASA center supporting its development. How much can SLS carry into space? ▾ The initial configuration of SLS can send more than 26 metric tons (57,000 pounds) to the Moon, and future upgrades will enable the rocket to send at least 45 metric tons (99,000 pounds). Towering a staggering 322 feet tall, taller than the Statue of Liberty, SLS will weigh 5.75 million pounds and produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, 15 percent more thrust than the Saturn V rocket. How powerful are the two SLS boosters? ▾ The SLS booster is the largest, most powerful solid propellant booster ever built for flight. Standing 17 stories tall and burning approximately six tons of propellant every second, each booster produces 3,600,000 pounds of thrust – greater than 14 four-engine Boeing 747’s at full take-off power. What powers the SLS core stage. ▾ The SLS core stage is powered by four RS-25 engines. Each RS-25 engine is about the size of a compact car and weighs about 8,000 pounds. The core stage towers more than 200 feet tall and holds 196,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and 537,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen. --> LUNAR OUTPOST

The gateway.

NASA and its partners are designing and developing a small spaceship in orbit around the Moon for astronauts, science and technology demonstrations known as the Gateway. Located about 250,000 miles from Earth, the Gateway will enable access to the entire surface of the Moon and provide new opportunities in deep space for exploration.

Sustainable Exploration

This new era of sustainable human exploration requires advanced technologies that are efficient, affordable and reliable. Solar electric propulsion offers these benefits and is a key technology for the Gateway. The first element to launch to space will be the power and propulsion element in 2022. This alternative propulsion system will enrich exploration at the Moon by enabling orbit transfers and reusable space tugs to and from the lunar surface.

ASTRONAUTS ON THE MOON

A new approach.

Beginning with a series of small commercial delivery missions, we will use new tools and technology demonstrations to conduct more science across the surface of the Moon, and exploit the resources of our nearest neighbor ahead of a human return.

With some of humanity’s most advanced technologies, future astronauts will stay longer on the surface of the Moon, explore more of the Moon than ever imagined, and build a sustainable presence.

• A new class of power systems will support future human outposts.
• Autonomous rovers and robots will move around the surface.
• We will print, manufacture and build as much as we can with materials found on the Moon.

Surface Missions

Working with American companies and leveraging the Gateway, NASA recently proposed designing and developing a new reusable human lunar landing system. The elements of this system would include descent, transfer, refueling, ascent and surface suit capabilities. Using them, NASA planned to send astronauts to the surface of the Moon in the next decade.

Following a recommendation from the National Space Council, President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence asked NASA to accelerate lunar exploration plans and put Americans back on the Moon by 2024, leading to a sustained presence on and around the Moon. The agency will factor this recommendation into its planned human lunar landing studies with American companies.

WHEN ARE WE GOING?

2017 – our mission.

Space Policy Directive-1 calls for NASA to “lead an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the solar system and to bring back to Earth new knowledge and opportunities.” With this direction from the president, NASA will put astronauts on the Moon in the next decade, and lay the foundation for human exploration of Mars.

2019 – To the Moon by 2024

On March 26, 2019, President Trump directed NASA to land the first American woman and next American man on the lunar South Pole in the next five years. NASA accepted this bold challenge, and is working to accelerate technology and hardware development to move forward to the Moon, with humans on the surface by 2024.

2019 – Commercial Moon Deliveries

Through Commercial Lunar Payload Services, or CLPS, NASA is partnering with nine American companies to send new science instruments and technologies to the Moon ahead of a human return. NASA plans to issue its first task order for payload delivery services to the lunar surface in May, and the first delivery could happen by late 2019 if commercial landers are ready. NASA will order more deliveries to the Moon as needed over the next decade

2020 – Artemis 1

NASA is targeting 2020 for the launch of its powerful Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft together for the first time from a modernized Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This uncrewed flight test, known as Artemis 1, will demonstrate our capability to send crew spaceship to lunar orbit ahead of a return to the surface of the Moon. After launch, SLS will also deploy a number of CubeSats to perform experiments and technology demonstrations.

2022 – Artemis 2

NASA is targeting 2022 to test its powerful Space Launch System with astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft. Launching again from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Artemis 2 will fly a different path than the first test flight, and will take a crew around the Moon for the first time in fifty years. This first mission with astronauts will mark a significant step forward for regular missions with crew to lunar orbit, and ultimately on the surface of the Moon and beyond.

2022 – First Gateway Element

The power and propulsion element for the Gateway will launch on a private rocket by December 2022, and provide a one-year demonstration in space. Using advanced solar electric propulsion, this first module of the Gateway will provide power, propulsion and communications for the entire spaceship as its assembled and operated.

2023 – Science & Exploration Rover

NASA is working with commercial industry to develop mobility platforms, such as rovers, to carry science instruments and look for and sample water-ice (volatile) deposits. Landing a rover in 2023 on the Moon will be the beginning of better understanding the nature of lunar volatiles and could lead to new scientific discoveries. It will also provide us knowledge as to how we can use the water-ice for fuel, oxygen and drinking water for human exploration missions to lunar surface.

2023 – Second Gateway Element

NASA will launch a small cabin on a private rocket to dock with the power and propulsion element. The first astronauts to visit the Gateway will transfer from Orion to this pressurized cabin, where they will prepare for their expedition to the lunar South Pole.

2024 – Human Landing System

The human landing system will be launched in stages aboard private rockets. They will assemble together in lunar orbit and dock to the Gateway as a single unit, ready to take astronauts down to the lunar surface.

2024 – Artemis 3

NASA’s Space Launch System will send Orion and its crew to lunar orbit, where it will dock at the Gateway. The crew will check out the Gateway cabin and Human Landing System before boarding the lander to ride down to the Moon.

2025 – Artemis 4

NASA will build on the capabilities established for the 2024 landing, and work with U.S. industry and international partners to develop a sustainable human lunar presence. The Space Launch System rocket will send Orion spacecraft and its crew to lunar orbit, where astronauts will conduct expeditions aboard the Gateway and on the lunar surface.

2026 – Artemis 5

NASA’s Space Launch System will send Orion and its crew to lunar orbit, where astronauts will conduct expeditions aboard the Gateway and on the lunar surface.

2027 – Artemis 6

2028 – artemis 7, 2028 – sustainable human lunar presence.

NASA and its industry and international partners plan to have a steady cadence of astronaut expeditions to the Gateway and lunar surface, with increased Gateway capabilities and reusable landing systems.

2030s – Astronauts on Mars

NASA is keeping its eyes on human exploration of Mars. Our sustainable Moon to Mars exploration approach is reusable and repeatable – we will build an open exploration architecture in lunar orbit with as many capabilities that can be replicated as possible for missions to the Red Planet.

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LATEST NEWS

NASA Seeks US Partners to Develop Reusable Systems to Land Astronauts on Moon

As the next major step to return astronauts to the Moon under Space Policy Directive-1, NASA announced plans on Dec. 13 to work with American companies to design and develop new reusable systems for astronauts to land on the lunar surface. [...]

NASA Selects Experiments for Possible Lunar Flights in 2019

NASA has selected 12 science and technology demonstration payloads to fly to the Moon as early as the end of this year, dependent upon the availability of commercial landers. These selections represent an early step toward the agency’s long-term scientific study and human exploration of the Moon and, later, Mars. [...]

NASA Announces New Partnerships for Commercial Lunar Payload Delivery Services

Nine U.S. companies now are eligible to bid on NASA delivery services to the lunar surface through Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) contracts, as one of the first steps toward long-term scientific study and human exploration of the Moon and eventually Mars. [...]

Moon to Mars News

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All About the Moon

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Chances are that when you imagine the night sky, one of the first things that comes to mind is the Moon “glowing” in the darkness. The Moon has always held a special place in our imaginations and in daily life.

Explore the Moon! Click and drag to rotate the Moon. Scroll or pinch to zoom in and out. Credit: NASA Visualization Technology Applications and Development (VTAD)

It’s no wonder that we are fascinated. The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite and one that we can easily see most nights.

The Moon has inspired wonder and creativity for thousands of years. This image appeared in a 1902 French film called "Le Voyage dans la Lune" ("A Trip to the Moon").

What makes the Moon glow?

The Moon does not shine with its own light. It simply reflects light coming from the Sun.

This is the face of the Moon that we see from Earth. This image is based on data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University

Why does it look like the Moon is changing shape?

From Earth, it might look like the Moon is changing shape each night – from a tiny sliver to a half moon to a full moon and back again. What’s actually happening is that from our spot on Earth, we see different parts of the Moon lit up by the Sun as the Moon travels in its orbit.

As the Moon travels around Earth, different parts of it are lit up by the Sun. These changes in the Moon's appearance from our view on Earth are called moon phases. This graphic shows all eight moon phases we see as the Moon makes a complete orbit of Earth about every four weeks. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Is there actually a “dark side" of the Moon?

No. The Moon rotates on its own axis at the same rate that it orbits around Earth. That means we always see the same side of the Moon from our position on Earth. The side we don't see gets just as much light, so a more accurate name for that part of the Moon is the "far side."

We only ever see one side of the Moon because as it orbits around Earth, it also rotates on its own axis at the same speed. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The "far side" of the Moon looks very different than the near side (see the first photo in this article). Notice how few dark areas the far side has. This image is based on data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Arizona State University

How did the Moon form?

Scientists believe that the Moon formed early in the solar system’s history after Earth and an object about the size of Mars smashed into each other. The impact sent chunks of Earth and the impactor into space that were pulled together by gravity, creating the Moon.

How do we study the Moon?

Even thousands of years ago, humans drew pictures to track the changes of the Moon. Later, people used their observations of the Moon to create calendars.

Today, we study the Moon using telescopes and spacecraft. For example, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has been circling the Moon and sending back measurements since 2009.

The Moon is the only other planetary body that humans have visited. On July 20, 1969, NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first people to set foot on the dusty surface of the Moon. Ten other American astronauts followed. They collected hundreds of pounds of lunar soil and rock samples, conducted experiments and installed equipment for follow-up measurements.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin set up several scientific experiments while on the surface of the Moon during the historic Apollo 11 mission. You can see the lunar module, “Eagle,” in the background. Credit: NASA

What do we know about the Moon?

Today, we know that the Moon is covered by craters as well as dust and debris from comets, asteroids and meteoroid impacts. We know that the Moon’s dark areas, called maria – which is Latin for seas – are not actually seas. Instead, they are craters that lava seeped into billions of years ago. We know that the Moon has almost no atmosphere and only about one-sixth of Earth’s gravity. We even know that there is quite a bit of frozen water tucked away in craters near the Moon's poles.

There is no wind or air on the Moon to help “erase” craters, so the surface is covered with the remains of old and new impacts. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA

There are still many questions left to answer about the Moon. And the most exciting days of lunar activity may still lie ahead as NASA sends humans on the next missions to the Moon and eventually on to Mars!

For more information visit:

NASA Science

More about the Moon!

How far away is the Moon?

Why does the Moon have craters?

What are the different types of full moons?

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NASA’s Juno Gives Aerial Views of Mountain, Lava Lake on Io

Imagery from the solar-powered spacecraft provides close-ups of intriguing features on the hellish Jovian moon.

This animation is an artist’s concept of Loki Patera, a lava lake on Jupiter’s moon Io, made using data from the JunoCam imager aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft. With multiple islands in its interior, Loki is a depression filled with magma and rimmed with molten lava.

Scientists on NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter have transformed data collected during two recent flybys of Io into animations that highlight two of the Jovian moon’s most dramatic features: a mountain and an almost glass-smooth lake of cooling lava. Other recent science results from the solar-powered spacecraft include updates on Jupiter’s polar cyclones and water abundance.

The new findings were announced Wednesday, April 16, by Juno’s principal investigator Scott Bolton during a news conference at the European Geophysical Union General Assembly in Vienna.

Juno made extremely close flybys of Io in December 2023 and February 2024, getting within about 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) of the surface, obtaining the first close-up images of the moon’s northern latitudes.

“Io is simply littered with volcanoes, and we caught a few of them in action,” said Bolton. “We also got some great close-ups and other data on a 200-kilometer-long (127-mile-long) lava lake called Loki Patera. There is amazing detail showing these crazy islands embedded in the middle of a potentially magma lake rimmed with hot lava. The specular reflection our instruments recorded of the lake suggests parts of Io’s surface are as smooth as glass, reminiscent of volcanically created obsidian glass on Earth.”

The JunoCam instrument on NASA’s Juno captured this view of Jupiter’s moon Io — with the first-ever image of its south polar region — during the spacecraft’s 60th flyby of Jupiter on April 9.

Maps generated with data collected by Juno’s Microwave Radiometer ( MWR ) instrument reveal Io not only has a surface that is relatively smooth compared to Jupiter’s other Galilean moons , but also has poles that are colder than middle latitudes.

Pole Position

During Juno’s extended mission , the spacecraft flies closer to the north pole of Jupiter with each pass. This changing orientation allows the MWR instrument to improve its resolution of Jupiter’s northern polar cyclones . The data allows multiwavelength comparisons of the poles, revealing that not all polar cyclones are created equal.

“Perhaps most striking example of this disparity can be found with the central cyclone at Jupiter’s north pole,” said Steve Levin, Juno’s project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “It is clearly visible in both infrared and visible light images, but its microwave signature is nowhere near as strong as other nearby storms. This tells us that its subsurface structure must be very different from these other cyclones. The MWR team continues to collect more and better microwave data with every orbit, so we anticipate developing a more detailed 3D map of these intriguing polar storms.”

Jovian Water

One of the mission’s primary science goals is to collect data that could help scientists better understand Jupiter’s water abundance. To do this, the Juno science team isn’t hunting for liquid water. Instead, they are looking to quantify the presence of oxygen and hydrogen molecules (the molecules that make up water) in Jupiter’s atmosphere. An accurate estimate is critical to piecing together the puzzle of our solar system’s formation.

Created using data collected by the JunoCam imager aboard NASA’s Juno during flybys in December 2023 and February 2024, this animation is an artist’s concept of a feature on the Jovian moon Io that the mission science team nicknamed “Steeple Mountain.”

Jupiter was likely the first planet to form, and it contains most of the gas and dust that wasn’t incorporated into the Sun. Water abundance also has important implications for the gas giant’s meteorology (including how wind currents flow on Jupiter) and internal structure.

In 1995, NASA’s Galileo probe provided an early dataset on Jupiter’s water abundance during the spacecraft’s 57-minute descent into the Jovian atmosphere. But the data created more questions than answers, indicating the gas giant’s atmosphere was unexpectedly hot and — contrary to what computer models had indicated — bereft of water.

“The probe did amazing science, but its data was so far afield from our models of Jupiter’s water abundance that we considered whether the location it sampled could be an outlier. But before Juno, we couldn’t confirm,” said Bolton. “Now, with recent results made with MWR data , we have nailed down that the water abundance near Jupiter’s equator is roughly three to four times the solar abundance when compared to hydrogen. This definitively demonstrates that the Galileo probe’s entry site was an anomalously dry, desert-like region.”

The results support the belief that the during formation of our solar system, water-ice material may have been the source of the heavy element enrichment (chemical elements heavier than hydrogen and helium that were accreted by Jupiter) during the gas giant’s formation and/or evolution. The formation of Jupiter remains puzzling, because Juno results on the core of the gas giant suggest a very low water abundance — a mystery that scientists are still trying to sort out.

Data during the remainder of Juno’s extended mission may help, both by enabling scientists to compare Jupiter’s water abundance near the polar regions to the equatorial region and by shedding additional light on the structure of the planet’s dilute core.

During Juno’s most recent flyby of Io, on April 9, the spacecraft came within about 10,250 miles (16,500 kilometers) of the moon’s surface. It will execute its 61st flyby of Jupiter on May 12.

More About the Mission

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Juno mission for the principal investigator, Scott Bolton, of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Juno is part of NASA’s New Frontiers Program, which is managed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The Italian Space Agency (ASI) funded the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built and operates the spacecraft.

More information about Juno is available at:

https://www.nasa.gov/juno

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