Why we’re returning to the Moon: A guide to the Artemis missions

Neil Armstrong’s now-famous words “that’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” were broadcast around the world in July 1969. They mark the moment he cemented his place in history by becoming the first person to set foot on the Moon.

NASA’s Apollo programme succeeded in its mission to land humans on the lunar surface. It also sparked a wave of enthusiasm for space exploration and inspired a generation to pursue science.

Now NASA is hoping to inspire another generation with its new lunar programme called Artemis.

The programme is named Artemis after the Greek goddess of the hunt, wilderness and the Moon. In Greek mythology, Artemis was the twin sister of Apollo, but this latest programme is far from a copy of its predecessor.

It will break new ground by building the first ever lunar space station. This will allow for long-term lunar research and be a step towards one day sending humans to Mars. It’ll also see the first woman and the first person of colour walk on the Moon.

Our planetary scientist Professor Sara Russell shares her thoughts about the programme.

“I’m really excited about the upcoming Artemis missions. As well as all of the fascinating new things we’re going to learn about the Moon, I’m also excited to see the reaction.”

“I remember the aftermath of the Apollo missions, and there was a huge buzz around space exploration at that time. People were just mind-blown that humans actually walked on the Moon, and it’s still mind-blowing to think about now.”

The first Moon landings

The US launched its Apollo programme in the 1960s with the goal of being the first nation to land humans on the Moon and return them safely to Earth.

The primary motivator was winning the space race against the Soviet Union. However, the missions did also greatly expand our understanding of our closest planetary body.

In total, six missions successfully landed on the Moon, beginning with Apollo 11 in 1969 and ending with Apollo 17 in December 1972.

These missions collectively returned an impressive 382 kilogrammes of lunar material to Earth. Many countries around the world received a sample as a goodwill gesture from the US. In fact, the collections we care for include one of these lunar rocks from the last Apollo missions. You can see it on display in our Treasures Gallery.

Although it’s been more than 50 years since the final Apollo mission, scientists are still learning a great deal from the material the missions returned.

“The samples have changed our understanding of the Moon and the solar system,” says Sara.

“We learned a lot about the type of rocks that are present on the Moon and that there’s liquid water. As the rocks are so old, it also helped us understand more about how the Moon formed, and we’re still continuing to learn things from these samples today.”

Why are we going back to the Moon?

Despite the knowledge we gained from the Apollo missions, there’s still a lot that we can learn from the Moon. In fact, it can tell us a lot about our own planet’s history. On Earth, erosion happens very quickly because of our weather systems. That makes it rare to find rocks that date back to the early days of our solar system.

In comparison, very little erosion takes place on the Moon. Lunar rocks are up to 4.5 billion years old, providing a time capsule that goes back to the formation of the Moon and Earth.

“If you want to learn about early Earth, actually, a good place to find out about it is by looking at the Moon,” Sara explains.

“As Earth and the Moon are very close together, whatever’s happened to the Moon has likely also happened to Earth. But because of the level of erosion that’s happened here, there’s a lot we don’t know, so the Moon can tell us a lot about the story of our own planet.”

“The Apollo missions only explored a few places close to the equator on the near side of the Moon. But we don’t know much about the far side and the polar regions. So, there’s still a lot to find out.”

Where will Artemis astronauts land?

The Artemis programme will explore the lunar South Pole for the very first time.

It’s much colder at the South Pole, so there’s a greater chance of finding frozen water. The site is also close to the Aitken Basin. With a diameter of 2,500 kilometres, it’s the largest impact crater that we know of in our solar system. The crater penetrates deep into the Moon’s crust, right down to the mantle below.

The Aiken Basin is so deep that it’s exposed a variety of different rock layers, providing a perfect timeline of how the Moon formed and changed over time.

Artemis I: Uncrewed test flight

The first Artemis mission, known as Artemis I, launched in November 2022. The goal was to test important equipment, such as the Orion capsule that will eventually transport astronauts to and from the Moon’s orbit.

Orion is NASA’s next-generation spacecraft, designed for missions into deep space. It’s built to carry four astronauts, making it slightly larger than the capsule that was used for the Apollo missions, which only ever carried a three-person crew. When Artemis I launched, the capsule contained three mannequins. One mannequin wore a vest equipped with sensors to determine solar radiation levels, which is one of the most significant risks to astronauts during space travel.

The capsule was launched into space atop of the Space Launch System (SLS). The SLS is the world’s most powerful mega rocket, capable of transporting Orion, astronauts and cargo to the Moon on a single mission.

The Artemis I mission was a success, with the uncrewed capsule safely returning to Earth in December 2022 after carrying out a close flyby of the Moon. It travelled a total distance of roughly 2.3 million kilometres during its 25-day mission.

Artemis II: Crewed flight around the Moon

The next mission, Artemis II, is scheduled to launch in April 2026 and will be the first test flight with astronauts on board Orion.

During the 10-day mission, the crew will evaluate the spacecraft’s systems and practise emergency procedures. The astronauts will be launched into space by the SLS then orbit Earth twice to make sure Orion is working as expected. This will include testing communication and navigation systems, as well as the life-support systems that generate breathable air. The capsule will then begin its trajectory towards the Moon.

Orion will travel around 7,500 kilometres beyond the far side of the Moon before being pulled back naturally by Earth’s gravity.

Artemis III: Moon landing

If all goes well with the second test mission, Artemis III will make history by sending the first humans to explore the lunar South Pole.

Four astronauts will travel on Orion and enter the Moon’s orbit, just like they did on Artemis II. This time, however, the spacecraft will dock with SpaceX’s Starship human landing system. Starship will then carry two astronauts from Orion to the lunar surface.

After touchdown, they’ll spend about a week exploring the lunar surface and conducting scientific work inside Starship. During the moonwalks, the crew will collect samples, survey the geology and take pictures and videos.

Once complete, they’ll travel on Starship to rejoin the rest of the crew in the Orion capsule. They’ll spend about five days in orbit while they transfer samples from the Starship landing system to the Orion spacecraft. Finally, they’ll then begin the journey back to Earth.

The full mission is expected to last around 30 days and is currently scheduled to take place in 2027.

Artemis IV: Building a lunar space station

The next phase of the programme is even more complex but will enable long-term exploration of the Moon. It’ll involve building the first lunar space station called Gateway.

A bit like the International Space Station that orbits Earth, Gateway will orbit the Moon. It’ll be kitted out with scientific instruments to study a range of things, including the Sun and human health. Plus, it’ll contain a docking station for visiting spacecraft and areas for the crew to live, work and prepare for visits to the Moon’s surface.

The modules for the space station are being built and will launch on board a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. It’ll take a year for this spacecraft to reach the lunar orbit.

Once Gateway is in place, the Artemis IV crew will lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on top of an upgraded SLS rocket. This larger rocket will carry the astronauts in the Orion spacecraft along with extra cargo for Gateway.

The crew will also travel with an element that’ll expand Gateway’s living areas. It’ll include critical life support systems that’ll allow astronauts to stay aboard the space station for longer.

The astronauts will spend several days aboard Gateway performing initial checks. Two crew members will then travel to the lunar surface on the SpaceX’s Starship for several moonwalks to collect samples, deploy instruments and conduct field geology.

After the experiments are complete, the whole Artemis IV crew will travel back to Earth on Orion, leaving Gateway to continue its orbit.

The future of space exploration

Although building a new space station will be a landmark moment for the Artemis programme, it won’t be the conclusion of the mission. There are plans for a longer-term human presence on the Moon, opening the door to further exploration of our solar system. It could even be used as a stepping stone to explore the red planet.

Mars isn’t very habitable today, but scientists think that in the past it may have been able to support life. So far, everything we’ve learned about the red planet has come from data sent to us by stationary landers and remote-controlled rovers. But having astronauts on the ground collecting samples and conducting experiments will undoubtedly unlock a treasure trove of scientific discoveries.

“Having a more permanent human presence around the Moon will be a huge step towards one day having people on Mars,” says Sara.

“The Moon has a lot less gravity compared with Earth, so it’s much easier and cheaper to launch a rocket from there. Long-term research on the Moon will also help us understand how to work and live on another world and prepare us for future deep space exploration.”

“It’s exciting to think about the possibilities that will come out of these missions and what new frontiers the next generation of scientists is going to explore. The first Moon landing inspired many kids, including me, to pursue science. Programmes like this can have a massive influence on public culture, and hopefully it will happen again.”