Artemis II a stepping stone to sustained lunar presence

NASA Artemis Moonshot This photo provided by NASA shows the exterior of the Orion spacecraft Integrity during the Artemis II mission en route to the moon on Friday, April 3, 2026. (NASA via AP) (AP)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — After more than 50 years, NASA is returning to the Moon, this time with plans to stay.

The Artemis II mission, a 10-day trip around the Moon with four astronauts, is a critical first step in building toward a sustained human presence.

NASA officials say the agency is taking a “building block” approach, learning from each mission before moving to more complex operations, such as landing crews and assembling systems in space.

Early plans for a moon base won’t look like science fiction, but instead a spread-out network of equipment and habitats, with billions already being invested to make long-term lunar living a reality.

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