By Ghazali Ibrahim
Humans have begun their first journey back toward the Moon in more than five decades, following the successful launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission, a landmark step in renewed global efforts in deep space exploration.
The mission, which lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1, carries four astronauts on a 10-day journey that will take them around the Moon and back to Earth.
Artemis II is the first crewed mission to travel beyond low-Earth orbit since the Apollo era, with the last human lunar mission, Apollo 17, taking place in 1972.
NASA said the mission will test critical systems aboard the Orion spacecraft, including life-support, navigation and communication technologies, as part of preparations for future missions that aim to land humans on the lunar surface again.
The crew comprising three American astronauts and one Canadian will fly past the far side of the Moon, reaching distances farther than any human has travelled in history.
Although the mission will not include a lunar landing, it is considered a crucial step toward that goal. NASA plans to follow up with future Artemis missions that will attempt a return to the Moon’s surface later in the decade.
Officials say the broader Artemis programme is designed not only to return humans to the Moon but also to establish a sustainable presence there and lay the groundwork for eventual missions to Mars.
The launch has been widely described as historic, marking a new chapter in space exploration and signalling renewed competition and collaboration in the global race to explore deep space.
With Artemis II now underway, scientists and engineers will closely monitor the mission’s progress, as its success is expected to shape the future of human spaceflight for decades to come.
