Artemis: Returning Humans to the Moon
- 28th Jan 2026
- Author: Ed Kellond-Turner
It's a very exciting time to be a space fan right now. For the first time in over 50 years, NASA is sending humans back to the Moon with the Artemis Program. But what does NASA have planned? Who is Artemis? And what does Shaun the Sheep have to do with all this?
Pre-Artemis
As the Space Shuttle program was beginning to wane, NASA needed a new crewed programme to replace it. Enter the Constellation program, which promised both the completion of the International Space Station and the landing of crew on the Moon by 2020. The programme would then culminate in the landing of the first humans on Mars.
What I find most intriguing were the plans to support the first rendezvous and landing of humans on an asteroid. We could have seen astronauts head out to a near-Earth asteroid, not only to collect samples but to investigate techniques to protect life on Earth from an asteroid impact.
Constellation would use the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles. Ares I would have had the capability to get the Orion spacecraft into low-Earth orbit, allowing the ISS to be resupplied, while Ares V had the proposed capability of launching almost double the payload capacity of Apollo's Saturn V to the Moon. We actually saw the launch of the Ares I-X first stage test vehicle in 2009, with seeming success.
In 2010, US President Barack Obama excluded the Constellation program from NASA's 2011 budget due to it being too costly, "behind schedule, and lacking in innovation", though Jim Kohlenberger, chief of staff at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, stated "while we're cancelling Constellation, we're not cancelling our ambitions".
Ares I and V were forgotten, and the planned lunar lander, named Altair, was scrapped, but the Orion spacecraft was saved and now plays a major part in the Artemis program. This cancellation also saw the pathway for the creation of SpaceX's Crew Dragon Capsule, which currently takes astronauts and supplies to and from the ISS.
Artemis I
The first of the Artemis missions took flight on 16 November 2022 with its sights set on lunar orbit. This was the beginning of NASA's quest to return humans to the Moon, though on this particular mission, there weren't actually any people onboard. Instead, Orion was occupied by a toy Snoopy and Shaun the Sheep. Also onboard were three mannequins equipped with sensors to investigate what conditions real astronauts would experience while in lunar orbit. This would be the first test of Orion in deep space, as well as the first use of ESA's European Service Module, which provides all the propulsion, power, water and oxygen, and temperature control needed on the mission.
An important test would come when the Orion capsule re-entered Earth's atmosphere 25 days after launch. It would be the first US capsule to use a "skip entry", and analysis of capsule after landing would indicate whether it was ready to carry astronauts to the Moon. When recovered, it was discovered that the heat shield showed more damage than expected, leading to a lengthy investigation. The launch pad also sustained damage, requiring repairs.
A cool fact is that on the outside of the Orion spacecraft during this mission were modified GoPro cameras, meaning we got both stunning pictures and videos as Artemis I orbited the Moon.
Artemis I also carried several CubeSats to the Moon, though six of the ten failed for a variety of reasons. This will be mimicked on future Artemis flights.
Artemis II
As I type this, NASA is rolling out and beginning testing on Artemis II's SLS (Space Launch System), which if all goes to plan will carry a crew of four to the Moon in early February 2026 for a ten day mission.
The profile of the mission is similar in scope to Apollo 8, which flew to the Moon in 1968 without landing on the surface. Unlike Apollo 8 and Artemis I before it, however, this mission won't orbit the Moon. Instead, the Orion spacecraft will be placed on a free-return trajectory, meaning even if the engine falls off while swinging around the Moon, the crew will still make it back to Earth. This keeps the mission simple, and allows the crew to focus on testing systems that will be vital to the astronauts on Artemis III and beyond.
The crew chosen for this historic mission can be seen are: (clockwise from front) NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen. These will be the first people to claim the title of lunar astronauts since the crew of Apollo 17 in 1972.
What I find most exciting is the prospect of all of humanity being taken along with the four crewmembers. In the Apollo era, cameras were big and bulky and required film. Nowadays, we can have cameras placed all over the outside of a spacecraft, and the astronauts can easily film their view of our closest celestial neighbour as it gets bigger and bigger. In a way, all of us are going to the Moon.
Artemis III
Artemis III will build on the hopeful success of Artemis II with the first crewed lunar landing in over 50 years. During a mission that is set to last around 30 days, two of the four crew members will spend approximately a week near the lunar south pole, conducting various science experiments and collecting samples for return to Earth.
Rather than copying the Apollo program, where the command and lunar modules were launched at the same time on the same rocket, the Artemis program relies on private companies to design, build, and launch a Human Landing System. Several companies bid to earn this contract from NASA, and SpaceX's Starship was announced as the winner in 2021.
This is not set in stone, however. Due to several delays, and possibly because of how complex SpaceX's plan is for a lunar landing with Starship, in 2025 NASA announced plans to reopen bidding for the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo. What's unsure is if this is a serious threat, or a way to push SpaceX to speed up to ensure the US beats China back to the Moon.
In 2023, Blue Origin's Blue Moon was announced as a second available lander to be used on Artemis V. The reasoning for this, as explained by Lisa Watson-Morgan, Manager of the Human Landing System Program at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is “this competitive approach drives innovation, brings down costs, and invests in commercial capabilities to grow the business opportunities that can serve other customers and foster a lunar economy.” Who knows though, with plans for primary test flights in 2026, maybe Blue Origin will be able to snatch the Artemis III contract from under SpaceX's nose.
Artemis IV
Artemis IV will begin similar to the previous Artemis missions, with SLS powering Orion on its way to the Moon. This time, however, SLS will have an upgraded second stage allowing it to fling more mass to lunar orbit, known as SLS Block 1B. This will also be the first time that the Orion capsule will dock to Lunar Gateway, the first space station in orbit around the Moon, which will massively extend the mission duration of future Artemis missions.
Two astronauts will then transfer to the Starship HLS (human landing system) and descend to the lunar surface for about six days of surface operations, akin to Artemis III.
The construction and testing of several Gateway components is already nearing completion, though it hasn't been easy getting it to this point. Gateway has received plenty of criticism from former astronauts, former NASA administrators, and key members of the aerospace community. They say that Gateway adds needless expense and complications to an already costly and difficult endeavour, and distracts NASA from its main goal: landing people on the Moon. NASA has responded to these concerns, pointing out that "we [landed on the Moon] in 1969. That race is over, and we won. The time now is to build a sustainable, reusable architecture".
The Trump administration flirted with the idea of cancelling the Gateway program, though the project received full funding on 4 July 2025.
What Comes Next?
Whilst NASA has announced general plans for more Artemis missions all the way up to Artemis X, I'm cautious to go in depth due to how turbulent NASA's funding can be. I am happy to say that we should see at least three lunar landings with Artemis III - V, and it's quite possible that more funding will be secured if the Artemis program proves successful in its aims.
But what makes Artemis even more interesting is that NASA's plans don't just stop at the Moon. Instead, they want to use Artemis as a stepping stone to learn, develop, and adapt in preparation for crewed missions to Mars. NASA has cemented this idea into the logo of the Artemis program itself, as their website explains that "the tip of the A or Artemis points beyond the Moon and signifies that our efforts at the Moon are not the conclusion, but rather the preparation for all that lies beyond".
You may wonder why we are bothering to waste time and money at the Moon if we want to send humans to Mars. Well, Mars is great, but it's a very long way away. If anything goes wrong, there is essentially nothing we can do. It would take around nine months for astronauts to fly from Mars back to safety on Earth, and that's only if the two planets are well placed in their orbits. If something were to happen to an astronaut at the Moon, however, it would only take three days to return to Earth. Still a long time, but a lot less dangerous than for an interplanetary astronaut.
If you're interested in learning more about humanity's plans to step foot on another planet make sure to visit the National Space Centre and watch NSC Creative's One Step Beyond planetarium show.
Image credits / references
(Banner) An artist's concept of the Orion spacecraft in orbit around the Moon. Credit: NASA / Liam Yanulis
(1a) An artist’s concept of NASA’s Ares I and V rocket systems. Credit: NASA / MSFC
(1b) The Artemis Program logo. Credit: NASA
(1c) An artist's concept of a component spacecraft of the Asteroid Redirect Mission. Credit: NASA
(2a) The Orion spacecraft. Credit: NASA
(2b) The SLS rocket launches for the Artemis I mission. Credit: NASA / Joel Kowsky
(3) The Artemis II crew. Credit: NASA / Josh Valcarcel
(4a) An artist’s concept of Blue Origin's lunar lander. Credit: Blue Origin
(4b) An artist’s concept of SpaceX's lunar lander. Credit: SpaceX
(5) An artist’s concept of the Gateway space station. Credit: NASA / ESA / ATG Medialab
(6a) An artist's concept of a possible future moon base. Credit: ESA / P. Carril
(6b) An infographic of NASA's plans to land humans on Mars and the steps required. Credit: NASA
