5 decades ago, John F. Kennedy made a promise to the American people, that NASA was ordered to
send a man to the moon, and with limited technology, they managed to pull off the unthinkable in 1969.

The space race, political pressure, and scientific genius all culminated in a herculean effort to
put a man on the moon, at a time when rockets were mere experiments and computers were barely
able to run programs. NASA’s effort with the Apollo space program was truly colossal and has led the
way in terms of innovation in the aerospace industry. However, since the program was concluded,
sending a man back to the moon has been supremely problematic.

NASA is taking desperate measures to repeat history and accomplish its next gargantuan objective of
landing people on the lunar south pole. It aims to execute this with the help of aid from the Space
Launch System and the Orion Spacecraft under the Artemis Space program. The rapid developments
that NASA is making for the program, include hiring robotic lenders who will carry out the majority of
the mission and examine the Moon’s surface. This robot is a first of its kind. NASA has ensured that
they will complete the Artemis project by 2024 and soon the world is set to witness the miracle they
have been eagerly waiting for: a person back on the moon.

This time, NASA has adopted a different vision; earlier they were looking for domination in the space
race, and now they hope to commercialize the cis-lunar space and set up economic assets on the
moon. While the thought of this is rather ambitious, NASA may be able to set up a permanent
structure on the moon at least by the time the program is slated to end in 2032. The idea is to build the
Artemis Base Camp, a gateway into lunar orbit, to improve our access to the moon and its resources.
The camp is expected to house a landing pad and exploratory ground systems which can help scout
the moon, and assess its resources. With plans to extract radioactive material and set up energy wells,
the Artemis program will also be crucial towards our eventual shift to renewable or at least
non-polluting sources of energy.

NASA has listed 3 goals for this renewed effort to the moon; discovery, opportunity, and inspiration.
The first relates to the discovery of resources, along with the advancement of our scientific
understanding through large-scale experiments on the moon. Opportunity relates to the economic
aspect of the mission, involving the creation of industries and a lunar economy. This will be a crucial
factor in sustaining our planet, as it continues to grow its population at a remarkable rate.
Furthermore, the opportunity also relates to our goal of becoming a multi-planetary species. Plans are in
motion for the colonization of mars, but an establishment on the moon will be important as a ‘beta’
test of our technologies, and the Artemis program shall set up the foundation for such future
aspirations. Inspiration evidently serves the purpose of promoting space settlements and expansion,
just like the Apollo mission helped inspire a young class of astronauts.

The Artemis program has its merits, and with the SLS (space launch system) ready for launch, there is
little delay expected. This mission will certainly open new avenues for our future as a civilization,
helping us expand our horizons out of this planet. To put Neil Armstrong’s words in context, ‘This is
one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.’ While reaching the moon won’t be an
achievement, the things we will initiate with the Artemis program are monumental.