The launch of NASA’s Orion spacecraft off the coast of Florida Wednesday will begin the first crewed flight around the moon in half a century. But it also marks the beginning of something more exciting: The Artemis II mission is America’s opening bid for deep space exploration — an ambition that is well worth its hefty price tag.
Some taxpayers watching Artemis II might think, “Been there, done that.” Americans first went to the moon in 1969. And by the time the Artemis program puts humans back on the moon’s surface in 2028, it’s projected to cost $105 billion.
This mission is best understood not as a return to the moon, but as the stepping stone to landing humans on Mars. NASA’s robots have discovered tantalizing clues to potential ancient microbes on the Red Planet. The space agency is hoping to use Artemis II to help demonstrate life-support and communications systems for a Mars mission, which would take two to three years round-trip. Perfecting that technology is the largest remaining technical hurdle to sending humans to Mars.
The agency also hopes this flight can lead to a permanent human presence on the lunar surface, which would involve setting up a colony and regularly launching crewed spaceflights there. Such a colony — as well as a “Gateway” space station above the moon — could support research on the Earth’s partner in orbit and serve as a training ground for a Mars mission.
At the very least, the Artemis program showcases the dynamism of the U.S. space industry, where private companies are competing to deliver engineering marvels. SpaceX, which filed to go public on Wednesday, is leading that race, which is why it was awarded contracts to develop the human landing systems for the Artemis III and IV missions. Blue Origin, founded by Post owner Jeff Bezos, has a contract to develop a lander for Artemis V.
This year’s Artemis flight will break new barriers, carrying four astronauts farther from Earth than any of their predecessors. And NASA will do so at just a fraction of the cost of the Apollo program, in inflation-adjusted terms, and with less than half the workforce.
As China ramps up its efforts to send humans to the moon by 2030, these are accomplishments worth celebrating. The U.S. can one day reap the rewards of these scientific endeavors if elected leaders keep investing in exploration.
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