First stop, the Moon. Next stop, Mars? Why Nasa's mission matters
Image source, Getty Images
ByRebecca Morelle Science editor and Alison FrancisSenior science journalist
Nasa's Artemis II mission is sending four astronauts on their way to the Moon.
Their voyage around our nearest neighbour will pave the way for a lunar landing and, eventually, a Moon base.
The Artemis programme has taken years of work, involved thousands of people and is estimated to have cost $93bn to date.
But for some, there's a distinct feeling of "been there, done that".
More than 50 years ago, America's Apollo missions made history when the first people set foot on the lunar surface. With six landings in total, it felt like the Moon had been well and truly ticked off the space to-do list.
So why is the US spending so much time, effort and money racing to return?
Image source, NASA
"The Moon has got the same elements in it that we have here on Earth," says Prof Sara Russell
The terrain might look dry, dusty and seems rather barren, but it's far from that.
"The Moon has got the same elements in it that we have here on Earth," says Prof Sara Russell, a planetary scientist at the Natural History Museum.
"An example is rare earth elements, which are very scarce on Earth, and there might be parts of the Moon where these are concentrated enough to be able to mine them."
There are metals too, like iron and titanium, and also helium, which is used in everything from superconductors to medical equipment.
Follow live: Artemis II Moon mission
Could weather conditions stop Artemis Moon launch?
Everything you need to know about the Artemis II mission
Artemis II: Inside the Moon mission to fly humans further than ever
But the resource that's the biggest draw is the most surprising: water.
"It has water trapped in some of its minerals, and it also has substantial amounts of water at the poles," says Russell.
There are craters that are permanently in shadow, she says, where ice can build up.
Having access to water is vital if you want to live on the Moon. It not only provides drinking water, but can also be split into hydrogen and oxygen to provide air for astronauts to breathe, and even fuel for spacecraft.
Image source, Getty Images
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin salutes an American flag on the Moon's surface in 1969
America's Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s were driven by a race for space dominance with the Soviet Union. This time around China is the competition.
China has been making fast progress with its space programme. It's successfully landed robots and rovers on the Moon, and says it will get humans there by 2030.
There's still prestige in being the first to plant your flag in the lunar dust. But now it really matters where you plant it.
Both the US and China want access to the areas with the most abundant resources, which means securing the best lunar real estate.
Image source, CNSA HANDOUT via EPA
China put its flag on the Moon when it landed a robotic spacecraft in 2020
The United Nations 1967 Outer Space Treaty says that no country can own the Moon. But when it comes to what's found on the Moon, it's not quite so straightforward.
"Although you can't own a piece of the land because of the UN treaty, you can basically operate on that land without anybody interfering with it," says Dr Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut.
"So the big thing right now is to try to grab your piece of land. You can't own it, but you can use it. And once you're there, you've got it for as long as you want it."
Image source, NASA
Living on Mars will be much harder than the Moon
Nasa has its sights set on Mars and wants to send people there by the 2030s.
Given the technological hurdles it needs to overcome, it's a pretty ambitious timeline.
But you have to start somewhere, and the US has decided the Moon is that place.
"Going to the Moon and staying there for a sustained period is much safer, much cheaper and much easier to be a test bed for learning how to live and work on another planet," says Libby Jackson, head of space at the Science Museum.
On a Moon base, Nasa can perfect the tech to provide the air and water astronauts need. They'll have to work out how to generate power and build habitats to protect people from extreme temperatures as well as dangerous space radiation.
"These are all technologies that if you try them for the first time on Mars and they go wrong, it's potentially catastrophic. It's much safer and much easier to try them out on the Moon," Jackson says.
Image source, NASA
The Apollo astronauts collected samples of rock during their missions
Scientists can't wait to get their (gloved) hands on material from the Moon.
The rocks brought home by the Apollo astronauts transformed our understanding of our celestial neighbour.
"They told us that the Moon was formed by this incredibly dramatic event, where a Mars-sized body smashed into the Earth and the bits that came off formed the Moon. We know about that because of the Apollo rocks," says Prof Sara Russell.
But she says there is still much to discover.
Because the Moon was once a part of the Earth, it holds a record of 4.5bn years of our own planet's history. And with no plate tectonics, or wind and rain to wipe this record away, the Moon is a perfect time capsule.
"The Moon is a fantastic archive of the Earth," says Russell. "A new haul of rocks from a different area of the Moon would be amazing."
Image source, Joe Raedle/Getty Images
It's hoped that the Artemis missions will excite people about careers in science, technology and engineering
The grainy black-and-white footage beamed back from the Apollo missions transformed the dream of space into a reality.
And while only a lucky few watching would become astronauts themselves, many went on to careers in science, technology and engineering.
Image source, NASA
Black-and-white footage beamed back from the Apollo missions transformed science fiction into reality
It's hoped that the Artemis missions - streamed live and in 4k - will inspire a new generation.
"We live in a world of technology. We need scientists, engineers and mathematicians - and space has a brilliant ability to excite people about those subjects," says Libby Jackson.
New jobs and a thriving space economy will give the US a return on the billions of dollars it's poured into Artemis. As will any spin-offs from the technology developed for the missions that have a use on Earth.
But Helen Sharman says a return to the Moon will also give the world a much-needed boost.
"If we really come together, we can produce so much that's beneficial to humankind," says Sharman.
"It shows us what humans are capable of."
Top image shows a digital illustration of the surface of Mars.
13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II
The BBC's space podcast tells the story of Artemis II- Nasa's mission to loop around the moon.
Do you have any questions about the launch? How are you planning to follow the launch, maybe with friends or at a special event?
Read the full story at BBC ↗
NASA is sending the Artemis II mission with four astronauts to orbit the Moon. This voyage supports plans for a lunar landing and eventual Moon base. The Artemis programme has cost approximately $93 billion and involved thousands of people over many years. The Moon contains resources including water ice concentrated at the poles, rare earth elements, metals like iron and titanium, and helium. Water is particularly valuable as it can provide drinking water, breathable air when split into hydrogen and oxygen, and fuel for spacecraft. The US and China are both pursuing Moon missions; China aims for human landing by 2030. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits country ownership of the Moon, but allows nations to operate on claimed areas without interference. NASA intends to use Moon bases to test life-support and habitat technologies before attempting Mars missions in the 2030s. Apollo missions retrieved lunar rocks that revealed the Moon formed from a celestial impact; new samples from different regions could yield further discoveries about the Moon's geological record and Earth's early history. The missions may also inspire careers in science, technology and engineering.
Read the full story at BBC ↗
Image source, Getty Images
ByRebecca Morelle Science editor and Alison FrancisSenior science journalist
Nasa's Artemis II mission is sending four astronauts on their way to the Moon.
Their voyage around our nearest neighbour will pave the way for a lunar landing and, eventually, a Moon base.
The Artemis programme has taken years of work, involved thousands of people and is estimated to have cost $93bn to date.
But for some, there's a distinct feeling of "been there, done that".
More than 50 years ago, America's Apollo missions made history when the first people set foot on the lunar surface. With six landings in total, it felt like the Moon had been well and truly ticked off the space to-do list.
So why is the US spending so much time, effort and money racing to return?
Image source, NASA
"The Moon has got the same elements in it that we have here on Earth," says Prof Sara Russell
The terrain might look dry, dusty and seems rather barren, but it's far from that.
"The Moon has got the same elements in it that we have here on Earth," says Prof Sara Russell, a planetary scientist at the Natural History Museum.
"An example is rare earth elements, which are very scarce on Earth, and there might be parts of the Moon where these are concentrated enough to be able to mine them."
There are metals too, like iron and titanium, and also helium, which is used in everything from superconductors to medical equipment.
Follow live: Artemis II Moon mission
Could weather conditions stop Artemis Moon launch?
Everything you need to know about the Artemis II mission
Artemis II: Inside the Moon mission to fly humans further than ever
But the resource that's the biggest draw is the most surprising: water.
"It has water trapped in some of its minerals, and it also has substantial amounts of water at the poles," says Russell.
There are craters that are permanently in shadow, she says, where ice can build up.
Having access to water is vital if you want to live on the Moon. It not only provides drinking water, but can also be split into hydrogen and oxygen to provide air for astronauts to breathe, and even fuel for spacecraft.
Image source, Getty Images
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin salutes an American flag on the Moon's surface in 1969
America's Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s were driven by a race for space dominance with the Soviet Union. This time around China is the competition.
China has been making fast progress with its space programme. It's successfully landed robots and rovers on the Moon, and says it will get humans there by 2030.
There's still prestige in being the first to plant your flag in the lunar dust. But now it really matters where you plant it.
Both the US and China want access to the areas with the most abundant resources, which means securing the best lunar real estate.
Image source, CNSA HANDOUT via EPA
China put its flag on the Moon when it landed a robotic spacecraft in 2020
The United Nations 1967 Outer Space Treaty says that no country can own the Moon. But when it comes to what's found on the Moon, it's not quite so straightforward.
"Although you can't own a piece of the land because of the UN treaty, you can basically operate on that land without anybody interfering with it," says Dr Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut.
"So the big thing right now is to try to grab your piece of land. You can't own it, but you can use it. And once you're there, you've got it for as long as you want it."
Image source, NASA
Living on Mars will be much harder than the Moon
Nasa has its sights set on Mars and wants to send people there by the 2030s.
Given the technological hurdles it needs to overcome, it's a pretty ambitious timeline.
But you have to start somewhere, and the US has decided the Moon is that place.
"Going to the Moon and staying there for a sustained period is much safer, much cheaper and much easier to be a test bed for learning how to live and work on another planet," says Libby Jackson, head of space at the Science Museum.
On a Moon base, Nasa can perfect the tech to provide the air and water astronauts need. They'll have to work out how to generate power and build habitats to protect people from extreme temperatures as well as dangerous space radiation.
"These are all technologies that if you try them for the first time on Mars and they go wrong, it's potentially catastrophic. It's much safer and much easier to try them out on the Moon," Jackson says.
Image source, NASA
The Apollo astronauts collected samples of rock during their missions
Scientists can't wait to get their (gloved) hands on material from the Moon.
The rocks brought home by the Apollo astronauts transformed our understanding of our celestial neighbour.
"They told us that the Moon was formed by this incredibly dramatic event, where a Mars-sized body smashed into the Earth and the bits that came off formed the Moon. We know about that because of the Apollo rocks," says Prof Sara Russell.
But she says there is still much to discover.
Because the Moon was once a part of the Earth, it holds a record of 4.5bn years of our own planet's history. And with no plate tectonics, or wind and rain to wipe this record away, the Moon is a perfect time capsule.
"The Moon is a fantastic archive of the Earth," says Russell. "A new haul of rocks from a different area of the Moon would be amazing."
Image source, Joe Raedle/Getty Images
It's hoped that the Artemis missions will excite people about careers in science, technology and engineering
The grainy black-and-white footage beamed back from the Apollo missions transformed the dream of space into a reality.
And while only a lucky few watching would become astronauts themselves, many went on to careers in science, technology and engineering.
Image source, NASA
Black-and-white footage beamed back from the Apollo missions transformed science fiction into reality
It's hoped that the Artemis missions - streamed live and in 4k - will inspire a new generation.
"We live in a world of technology. We need scientists, engineers and mathematicians - and space has a brilliant ability to excite people about those subjects," says Libby Jackson.
New jobs and a thriving space economy will give the US a return on the billions of dollars it's poured into Artemis. As will any spin-offs from the technology developed for the missions that have a use on Earth.
But Helen Sharman says a return to the Moon will also give the world a much-needed boost.
"If we really come together, we can produce so much that's beneficial to humankind," says Sharman.
"It shows us what humans are capable of."
Top image shows a digital illustration of the surface of Mars.
13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II
The BBC's space podcast tells the story of Artemis II- Nasa's mission to loop around the moon.
Do you have any questions about the launch? How are you planning to follow the launch, maybe with friends or at a special event?
Read the full story at BBC ↗
NASA's Artemis II mission is sending four astronauts on a voyage around the Moon The Artemis programme has cost an estimated $93 billion to date The Moon contains water ice trapped in minerals and concentrated at the poles, in permanently shadowed craters The Moon contains rare earth elements, metals including iron and titanium, and helium Water on the Moon can be used for drinking, converted to breathable air and fuel for spacecraft China has successfully landed robots and rovers on the Moon and says it will send humans by 2030 The 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits countries from owning the Moon but allows them to operate on claimed land without interference NASA plans to send people to Mars by the 2030s Apollo missions brought back rocks that revealed the Moon formed from a Mars-sized body colliding with Earth The Moon holds a 4.5 billion-year record of Earth's history due to lack of plate tectonics and erosion Testing life-support technologies on the Moon is safer and cheaper than first attempting them on Mars Artemis missions streamed in 4K will inspire a new generation to pursue science and engineering careers Space achievements demonstrate what humans are capable of and provide a boost to humankind
Read the full story at BBC ↗
- NASA's Artemis II mission will send four astronauts around the Moon, establishing a foundation for lunar landing and a Moon base
- The Moon contains water ice at the poles and rare earth elements, resources critical for sustained human presence and spacecraft fuel
- The US and China are competing to secure lunar territory; while no country can own the Moon under the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, nations can operate on claimed areas
- NASA plans to use the Moon as a testing ground for technologies needed for Mars missions in the 2030s
- Apollo-era rocks revealed the Moon formed from a Mars-sized impact; new samples could unlock 4.5 billion years of Earth's geological history