What is the Artemis Program?

People may know Artemis as NASA’s return-to-the-Moon program. However, it is much more than a rerun of Project Apollo. While the destination is the same, the goals are more ambitious.  

NASA plans to create a permanent base on the lunar south pole to support scientific research and study the long-term effects of living and working on the surface of another world. The lessons learned, technologies tested, and scientific discoveries made during the Artemis missions are intended to build toward NASA’s future endeavors in space—including human exploration of Mars. Whereas NASA contracted with aerospace companies on Project Apollo, it is working alongside companies and international space agencies to achieve its goals for Artemis.  

The program borrows its name from the goddess of the hunt. In Greek mythology, Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and the twin sister of Apollo. Choosing Apollo’s twin sister as the name for NASA’s second human lunar exploration program emphasizes how this endeavor is related to—but unique from—the Apollo Program. 

Mission Planning

To date, NASA has completed the first of its planned Artemis missions. Artemis I was an uncrewed flight test of the Space Launch System and the Orion spacecraft. It launched from the Kennedy Space Center on November 16, 2022, and orbited the Moon before returning to Earth on December 11. Over the intervening three years, engineers have studied the performance of the vehicles to improve function and minimize risk for subsequent crewed flights.

Meanwhile, the crew of Artemis II has been rigorously training for their historic mission. Artemis II will be the first crewed flight of the program—and the first to send humans to the Moon in more than 53 years. Astronauts from the United States and Canada will perform a flyby of the Moon before returning to Earth. Their 10-day mission will also include scientific experiments and a demonstration of the new Orion Crew Survival System spacesuits.

NASA plans to land astronauts at the south pole of the Moon on subsequent missions. Aerospace companies SpaceX and Blue Origin are developing landers to deliver astronauts from the Orion spacecraft in lunar orbit to the Moon’s surface and back. Astronauts will probe the polar region to learn more about its chemical and geological makeup, as well as conduct other experiments on a variety of topics. For example, the Artemis III science program includes research on the effects of deep-space radiation on the human body, geologic activity known as “moonquakes,” and plant growth off world. Other companies are developing technologies to support a lunar base and exploration, including rovers.  

Artemis Program Spacecraft

The Artemis missions will use Orion spacecraft built by Lockheed Martin to transport four astronauts to and from the vicinity of the Moon. Orion will launch atop the Space Launch System (SLS) built by Boeing and United Launch Alliance. The SLS rocket produces 15% more thrust than the Saturn V rocket that launched the Apollo spacecraft to the Moon.  

The Orion Capsule

Orion capsules have a conical shape, known as a blunt body, similar to the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo spacecraft. It is designed to produce a shock wave upon reentry that helps dissipate heat. Orion has what is known as an ablative heat shield (see an ablated heat shield from Gemini here), which means that it is designed to erode while burning off heat during reentry.  

The European Service Module, supplied by the European Space Agency, provides thermal control and propulsion for the Orion spacecraft. Four large solar arrays unfold from the service module once in space to provide electrical power. (One notable technical difference from Apollo: the spacecraft were powered by fuel cells.) Orion spacecraft seats up to four crew members and can support missions that are up to 21 days long.  

The Space Launch System (SLS)

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) is a heavy-lift launch vehicle that can launch astronauts, cargo, and the Orion spacecraft into space from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SLS was developed using a combination of space shuttle components (specifically rocket boosters and RS-25 engines) and new technology.

The SLS was successfully tested during the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022. While it uses components from the space shuttle program, the SLS is designed to produce thrust at higher levels. It can also be configured into various “blocks” depending on the needs of the mission, making it more adaptable than its Saturn V counterpart from the Apollo missions. 

The People of Artemis

In December 2020, NASA named a cohort of 18 experienced astronauts who were eligible to fly Artemis missions. The space agency announced crew assignments for Artemis II in April 2023: U.S. astronauts Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover (pilot), and Christina Koch (mission specialist), and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen (mission specialist). The crew represents diverse professional and personal backgrounds. Meet the crew of Artemis II.   

The crew is the most visible part of the Artemis workforce. Behind the scenes, thousands of people work together—across states, countries, and even continents—to bring the program to life. They include scientists and engineers, government officials and contractors, as well as spacesuit technicians, electricians, communications professionals, drivers, accountants, and many more. 

A New Era of Cooperation: The Artemis Accords

NASA’s earliest human spaceflight programs—including the first crewed flights to the Moon—took place in the context of the Cold War competition with the Soviet Union. As NASA learned from the International Space Station program, involving global partners enables the sharing of expertise and costs.  

NASA anticipates that Artemis will lay the groundwork for increased activity on the Moon and other planetary bodies by national space agencies and private companies. In 2020 it partnered with the U.S. Department of State to establish the Artemis Accords, a series of ten common principles to enable peaceful cooperation in space. This includes commitments to provide mutual aid in case of emergency, to mitigate dangerous orbital debris, and to openly share scientific data.  The Accords represent an extension of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which established international space law. As of January 2026, 61 countries have signed onto the Accords, and new countries continue to join. 

Building on NASA's Legacy of Human Spaceflight

Project Artemis builds upon lessons and knowledge from NASA’s earlier human spaceflight programs.  These include:   

• Project Mercury and Project Gemini, which established that humans can live and work in space, and tested key technologies for spacewalking as well as rendezvous and docking  
• Project Apollo, which landed 12 astronauts on the lunar surface across 6 missions between 1969-1972  
• The Space Shuttle program, which featured the first reusable spacecraft (space shuttle orbiter) and built and maintained the International Space Station

Ultimately, the Artemis program is more than just NASA’s “return-to-the-Moon" program. It is NASA’s blueprint for the future of space travel. It will test key technologies needed to bring humanity deeper into space and to create a more permanent presence while there.