Artemis II Unveils Ambitious Plans for Humans to Return to the Lunar Surface

The Artemis program, launched by NASA after its Apollo 17 mission in 1972, aims to create a sustainable presence near the Moon and send humans to the lunar surface for the first time in over 50 years. The program has faced delays, development mishaps, and budget overruns but remains ambitious. In April 2026, Artemis II launched from Kennedy Space Center carrying four astronauts on an uncrewed mission to test out the Orion spacecraft’s hardware and systems. The crew will return to Earth in about a decade as part of the Artemis IV mission scheduled for 2028. The mission successfully completed its uncrewed launch and tested out various technologies that could soon see humans standing on the Moon. With this ambitious plan, NASA hopes to create a sustainable presence near the Moon, send the first woman to the lunar surface, and set up a lunar base.