NASA set for first crewed moon return in over half a century - Reuters

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimwFBVV95cUxNM1JKenlucTV6QTJMeFU1Qy1PemVHUlNmaGlsZTFqclBaTmpPY1U5N3ExdjBfRmF3R0poWU45Zmd3WU1Ub1ZuLUk1Y1pKU1Q3WXh3RXdOTTRtbk5sRHQxdDZ3Q2hxZ1p0Wm1RRl9yZjNuOUhheTFiXzVlZEJyMk1Vdl8zakhmUnNMMTZKZ1Awa3ZselMwZDFESzk2NA?oc=5" target="_blank">NASA set for first crewed moon return in over half a century</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>

The Artemis 2 crew has arrived at Kennedy Space Center in preparation for NASA's first crewed lunar mission since 1972. The mission will test Orion's life support systems and serve as a critical stepping stone for future Artemis program goals.

NASA's upcoming Artemis mission marks its first astronaut journey to the moon in over 50 years, with a crew reflecting the space agency's increasing diversity. The team includes Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

The Artemis 2 mission, scheduled for launch on April 1, 2026, will send four astronauts on a 10-day trip around the Moon aboard NASA's Orion capsule. A notable upgrade for the Artemis 2 astronauts compared to their Apollo predecessors is the inclusion of a private bathroom, or 'hygiene bay', on board the Orion spacecraft.

Artemis II marks NASA's first crewed lunar mission since 1972 and is a key milestone in the Artemis Program, a long-term initiative to return humans to the Moon. The mission will be carried out using the Space Launch System (SLS), a 322-foot-tall rocket, and the Orion crew capsule. The four-astronaut team will embark on a 10-day journey around the Moon before returning to Earth, aiming to test crucial systems and study how spaceflight affects human biology.

NASA's Artemis program marks the agency’s return to crewed lunar missions more than fifty years after Apollo, with important distinctions in scope, diversity, and long-term goals. Unlike the Apollo missions, which swiftly achieved a moon landing by 1969 under President Kennedy’s directive, Artemis has taken a slower route, hindered by shifting priorities between the Moon and Mars.