Lunar Exploration
The return of humans to the Moon and the build-out of a sustained presence — the Artemis crewed missions and the Gateway station in lunar orbit.
In brief
Future human and robotic exploration of the Moon.
Missions in this theme
- Artemis IIMission conceptPlanned · Crewed lunar flyby, planned mid-2020s
The first crewed flight of NASA's Artemis program — a crew of four flying around the Moon and back aboard Orion, the first humans beyond low Earth orbit since 1972.
- Artemis IIIMission conceptPlanned · Crewed lunar landing, planned late 2020s
The mission intended to return humans to the surface of the Moon — the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17, targeting the water-ice-bearing south-polar region.
Knowledge connections
- Group includesArtemis II
- Group includesArtemis III
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.