Moonshot: Artemis and the new race back to the Moon

Artemis II follows the uncrewed Artemis I test flight of 2022. It is the bridge to Artemis III — the return to the lunar surface planned for later in the decade — and the beginning of long-term human activity around the Moon. The crew will test Orion’s life-support systems, communications and navigation in deep space, setting the stage for the landings that follow.

The Artemis II crew is one of the most barrier-breaking teams ever assembled for deep-space travel. Christina Koch holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman and helped carry out the first all-female spacewalk. Victor Glover became the first Black astronaut to complete a long-duration mission aboard the International Space Station.

Reid Wiseman, a former ISS Flight Engineer and former Chief of NASA’s Astronaut Office, will command the mission, and Jeremy Hansen will make history as the first Canadian — and the first non-American astronaut — to join a lunar mission. 

Why the world is returning to the Moon?

The Moon is now at the centre of a new strategic race. China has executed multiple successful robotic lunar missions; the United States and its partners is accelerating to ensure they remain at the forefront. But this time, the aim is not a brief victory — it is permanent capability.

The scientific motivation is immense. The lunar surface preserves 4.5 billion years of geological history, and sustained exploration will help unlock new insights into Earth’s formation, the early solar system and the long-term effects of space radiation.

The technological payoff is equally significant. Many modern innovations, from solar energy systems to high-performance imaging sensors, originated in past space programmes. Artemis-era research in deep space — far beyond the protective magnetosphere — is expected to drive advances in materials, robotics, medicine and habitability that will cascade into everyday life.

Above all, the Moon is the stepping-stone to Mars. Its proximity allows engineers to refine life-support hardware, radiation protection and deep-space habitats in a realistic environment before attempting multi-month interplanetary missions. The planned Gateway station in lunar orbit will act as the command hub for this new phase of exploration.

The science aboard Artemis II

Artemis II is effectively a flying laboratory. Its research tasks focus on how the human body behaves during extended deep-space travel. Immunology studies, performance monitoring and tissue-simulation experiments will help scientists understand how to protect crews on longer missions.

The findings will shape spacecraft interiors, medical systems and emergency procedures for all future Artemis flights. As humanity pushes away from Earth, this knowledge becomes mission-critical.

Water, resources and the future of exploration

Future Moon landings will target the lunar south pole, a region thought to contain vast deposits of frozen water inside permanently shadowed craters. On Earth, water is simple. In space, it is a resource worth more than almost anything: essential for drinking, oxygen generation and, once split into hydrogen and oxygen, powerful rocket propellant.

Mining water ice on the Moon could transform the economics of deep-space missions by reducing the need to launch every kilogram from Earth. As demand grows for off-world resources, the south pole is emerging as a crucial frontier — possibly even a way to reduce pressure on Earth’s own ecosystems in the future.

The hardware making Artemis possible

The next lunar era is powered by technology that far surpasses Apollo. Astronauts will use Axiom Space’s advanced AxEMU spacesuit, designed for improved mobility and thermal protection during long excursions on the south pole’s frozen terrain. It is built to fit a wider range of body types and allow longer, more productive moonwalks.

For landing missions, NASA has chosen SpaceX’s Starship — the most powerful launch vehicle in development. Fully reusable and designed for heavy-lift operations, it must still demonstrate complex feats such as orbital refuelling before delivering astronauts safely to the surface. Its potential capacity, however, would dramatically expand the scale of lunar operations.

Artemis at FOS Future Lab: Why 2026 will be unmissable

Artemis II’s launch window aligns perfectly with the return of FOS Future Lab presented by Randox to the 2026 Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard. With Sir Tim Peake as ambassador and a growing list of space-based exhibitors — this year visitors were invited to fly over the Moon on a unique VR simulator — FOS Future Lab will be among the UK’s most immersive entry points into space exploration.

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Images courtesy of NASA.