Elizabeth Buescher

NASA first put mankind on the moon in 1969, and now they’re returning, and better yet, sending the first woman and person of color to step foot on the moon. In 2026, NASA plans to send Artemis III to the moon, including four astronauts, two of which will descend to the surface around the moon’s South Pole. 

Before that, NASA has to test out the spacecraft that will take the astronauts to and from the moon—Orion—on two missions, one of which has already happened. Artemis I took place in 2022, and it consisted of an unmanned flight to, around, and back from the moon. The mission intended to test out Orion’s ability to safely bring humans to and from the moon; thus, there was one passenger: a mannequin. It had sensors attached to it to measure pressure and vibration. Artemis I got as close as 80 miles from the surface of the moon, and up to 268,563 miles away from Earth. 

Subsequently, Artemis II will carry four real-life astronauts around the moon. It won’t actually land on the surface of the moon; it serves as another test for Orion. The astronauts will ensure that all of the systems work as intended, and practice any emergency procedures. The mission will get about 4,600 miles past the moon. 

Finally, Artemis III, in 2026, will be the mission that lands on the moon. SpaceX, a private space company based in America, was selected by NASA to provide the spacecraft that will actually carry two of the astronauts to the surface of the moon, while the other two astronauts will remain on Orion as it orbits around the moon. While on the moon, the astronauts will conduct several moonwalks and collect samples for geologic study back on earth. Artemis III will put the first woman and person of color on the moon, selected from a diverse group of astronauts-in-training. The two astronauts will be the first step in the journey to place humans on the moon long-term, and maybe even toward the establishment of a moon base. 

Many teachers at Marian can probably remember when space shuttles went to space regularly. Dr. Sharon Genoways, a STEM teacher, remembers how people talked about moon bases and living on the moon. “I was really excited, because they were saying, ‘we’re not just going to the moon, we’re going to live on the moon,’ which sounded like science fiction,” Genoways said. Now NASA is going back to the moon, using it as a stepping stone for future space missions for moon bases and even future Mars missions. 

“The whole thought behind it is that to go to mars, we have to launch from the moon, because the moon’s gravitational pull is only about a sixth of what ours is,” Genoways said. “We have to be forward thinking, we can’t think that earth is going to be here forever (it’s not); and we need to think of where to go next.” Luckily, we have a few billion years before the sun expands and consumes the earth. 

The United States’ initial trips to the moon were driven by the urge to be better than the Soviet Union during the space race. “We do not like to be outdone, and maybe that’s bringing back interest, but I’m okay with that.” said Genoways. However, NASA’s budget, even at its most during the space race, was less than one tenth of one percent of the government’s overall budget. While some people say that the money NASA spends could be better spent in other places, it’s such a small amount compared to what other government agencies spend. 

So far, the results of space exploration have been quite beneficial to humanity. “Any time that you are doing research, I think there’s a benefit. No matter what it is. You’re either going to find out something great and move forward, or you’re going to find out something that didn’t work.” said Genoways. Several inventions created for missions to space are used by normal people every day, like Velcro and battery powered tools. 

NASA is definitely looking to the future with its Artemis missions, and the rest of the world along with it. People who watched space shuttles exit the atmosphere in the 80s will see humanity return to the moon, and the next generation, the “Artemis generation,” as NASA calls it, will expand space travel to new horizons.