5 reasons why the Artemis II mission is a big deal

Research & Discovery

5 reasons why the Artemis II mission is a big deal

The Artemis II mission, scheduled to launch on Wednesday, will send four astronauts on a 10-day journey from Earth around the moon – the first time humans will travel that far into space since 1972. While the crew will not land on the moon, the mission marks a major step toward returning people to the lunar surface.

UVA Today asked Matt Pryal, an assistant professor in the University of Virginia’s Department of Astronomy, for five reasons the Artemis II mission matters. Here’s what he had to say.

1. Going to the moon is cool.

Illustration of a rocket launching upward with an orange trail, near a large number 1 and a dark planet.

(Illustration by Tobias Wilbur, University Communications)

Humans are the most curious creatures living on Earth, and traveling to the moon is likely something every human has imagined since we’ve been conscious. The culmination of that innate human curiosity is the wealth of knowledge we all now get to reap the benefits of in our modern society.

We have agriculture, the internet, cancer treatments, air conditioning, ice cream, blue jeans, etc., as a result of curious humans looking for answers to their seemingly trivial questions. At the time, those humans may not have imagined the lasting impact their new knowledge would have on the future world, and we are all better off because their curiosity was encouraged.

I believe that ambitious pursuits are worth investing in, and especially pursuits that can inspire a generation of humans to wonder more deeply. The Apollo program did this, and I’m hopeful that Artemis will inspire a generation to create new knowledge, which will inevitably improve the human condition.

2. Humans have not been to the moon since 1972.

Illustration of an astronaut in an orange suit next to a large number 2.

(Illustration by Tobias Wilbur, University Communications)

There have only been 24 humans ever who have journeyed into “deep” space. Those were the 24 Apollo astronauts who, from 1968 to 1972, launched from the largest rockets ever built to take a multi-day journey to the moon simply because we could.

Of those 24 astronauts, only five are alive today, and all are in their 90s. We gained important scientific information, thanks to the Apollo astronauts risking their lives in the pursuit of knowledge. Those 24 astronauts (12 of whom stepped on the moon) are the only humans to have ever seen the far side of the moon with their own eyes (the rest of us are limited to beautiful pictures).

The four astronauts on the Artemis II mission will hopefully be the next humans to see the far side of the moon with their own eyes on their 10-day journey. The main blocker from returning humans to the moon since 1972 has not primarily been engineering challenges, but the lack of political will (and subsequently financial backing).

3. There is always new knowledge to be gained.

Illustration of the number 3 beside an open book with a glowing planet rising from its pages.

(Illustration by Tobias Wilbur, University Communications)

One of the main goals of the Artemis program is to determine how to establish a safer and more consistent human presence in deep space. Traveling outside the protection of the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field creates unique challenges.

For example, we are more prone to cancer-causing radiation on the journey to the moon. Women in particular are more prone to this damaging radiation, and Artemis I worked toward testing the shielding necessary to safely send female astronauts (in addition to their male counterparts) into deep Earth orbit.

Christina Koch, a mission specialist on Artemis II, will be the first woman to journey into deep space and will be safer as a result of the knowledge gained from Artemis I. All Artemis missions going forward will be gathering data to make it safer to consistently send astronauts on these challenging journeys.

4. It shows the power of collaboration

Illustration of the number 4 with a rocket launching upward between stylized clouds.

(Illustration by Tobias Wilbur, University Communications)

While it’s primarily a NASA mission, the Artemis program is showcasing the power of international collaboration. Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, a member of the Canadian Space Agency, will be the first non-American to journey beyond low Earth orbit.

International collaboration is essential in science and will be essential for future lunar missions. The program also includes international contributions from the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre of the United Arab Emirates. Astronauts from these agencies will fly with NASA astronauts on future Artemis missions. Scientifically, we gain the most knowledge when we openly share our data with others, and Artemis is a glowing example of that.

5. Going to the moon is hard. Going beyond the moon is even harder.

Illustration of the number 5 with orbiting circles and a small rocket in motion.

(Illustration by Tobias Wilbur, University Communications)

It’s important for us to remember just how difficult it is to safely launch any rocket into space – let alone one that has four humans placed at the top of it.

Part of the current motivation of the Artemis program is to establish a more constant presence of humans on or near the moon to prepare for even more difficult missions, such as to Mars. While Mars may still be a distant dream, taking “small” steps today will allow us to make giant leaps in the future.

As a collective, humans should be proud of our ability to do difficult things, and success in lunar missions epitomizes the evolution of human ingenuity.