Artemis II mission marks key step back to the Moon and onward to Mars

If weather and technical conditions allow, Artemis II is expected to lift off from the United States sometime next month, sending a crewed spacecraft toward the Moon, though not yet to its surface.

The mission forms part of NASA’s Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to the Moon for the first time since 1972. Artemis II will orbit the Moon, gathering critical data ahead of Artemis III, which is expected to land astronauts on the lunar surface in 2027 or 2028.

The last humans to walk on the Moon did so in December 1972 during Apollo 17, when astronaut Eugene Cernan and geologist Harrison Schmitt explored the lunar surface.

The Moon as a stepping stone

According to Tiaan Strydom, acting executive director of space operations at the South African National Space Agency, the renewed global interest in the Moon is about far more than nostalgia.

“The Moon is basically a stepping stone,” he explained. “Everybody, commercial as well as big space nations, is trying to get to Mars.”

Strydom said space agencies traditionally lead technological innovation, noting that decades after the original space race, everyday technologies still trace their roots back to early space exploration.

Why not go straight to Mars?

A journey to Mars takes roughly nine months one way, compared to about four days to the Moon.

But Strydom said the real advantage lies in escaping Earth’s gravity.

“The moment you get to the surface of the Moon, you’ve overcome Earth’s gravitational forces,” he said. From there, future missions can launch more efficiently toward Mars.

The Moon could also serve as a refuelling stop, a supply depot, and even a communications hub, reducing reliance on Earth-based systems.

Searching for water on the Moon

One of the key scientific goals of Artemis II is studying the Moon’s far side, often informally called the ‘dark side of the Moon’, which is colder and thought to be more likely to contain water ice.

“If you can get water on the surface of the Moon, you can get water itself as well as oxygen,” Strydom said, calling this a major reason for renewed lunar exploration.

For more information, listen to Strydom using the audio player below: