Artemis program

The Artemis program is a Moon exploration program led by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), formally established in 2017 through Space Policy Directive-1. The program intends to return humans to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, with a stated long-term goal of establishing a permanent base on the Moon, which is expected to facilitate human missions to Mars.

Principal elements of the Artemis program include Space Shuttle–derived hardware, such as the Space Launch System's (SLS) core stage, its RS-25 engines, and solid rocket boosters, as well as systems originating in the canceled Constellation program, including the Orion spacecraft (now paired with the European Service Module instead of a US-built module) and booster upgrades initially developed for Ares V. Other elements of the program, such as the Human Landing System (HLS), are in development by private spaceflight companies under contract and international collaborations are bound by the Artemis Accords.

Artemis I saw an uncrewed Orion capsule orbit the Moon in 2022. Artemis II is planned to send four astronauts around the Moon in 2026. Artemis III, scheduled for 2027, is set to test a crewed Orion in Earth orbit; it was planned as the first lunar landing of the program until 2026, when the landing was pushed to Artemis IV, targeted for 2028. Afterward, NASA plans for yearly lunar landings to develop a permanent Moon base.