{"id":21270,"date":"2026-04-01T20:22:58","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T12:22:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/why-is-artemis-2-important\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T20:22:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T12:22:58","slug":"why-is-artemis-2-important","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/why-is-artemis-2-important\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is Artemis 2 important?"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"img-border featured-image\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"100%\" src=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/12\/53206112789-e5e932c583-o-111e37.jpg?quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1600\" class=\"skip-lazy wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/12\/53206112789-e5e932c583-o-111e37.jpg?w=320&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/12\/53206112789-e5e932c583-o-111e37.jpg?w=640&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/12\/53206112789-e5e932c583-o-111e37.jpg?w=1024&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/12\/53206112789-e5e932c583-o-111e37.jpg?w=1500&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 1500w\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" data-attachment-id=\"43916\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/2025\/12\/29\/what-is-the-purpose-of-nasas-artemis-2-mission\/53206112789-e5e932c583-o-111e37\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/12\/53206112789-e5e932c583-o-111e37.jpg?quality=82&amp;strip=all\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1000\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-title=\"Artemis 2 crew\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\n\n<p>Image: NASA<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/12\/53206112789-e5e932c583-o-111e37.jpg?quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024&#8243;><figcaption>\n\t\t\t\tImage: NASA\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NASA\u2019s Artemis 2 mission to the Moon is set to launch as soon as later tonight, and it will be the most influential mission to space in recent history. But why? This will not be our first time going to the Moon, and they aren\u2019t even landing. So why is Artemis 2 so important?<\/p>\n<p><span id=\"more-44085\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-nasa-s-return-to-the-moon\">NASA\u2019s return to the Moon<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NASA\u2018s Artemis program came about during President Trump\u2019s first term and was a way to consolidate the agency\u2019s various efforts around the Moon. It also set a goal of returning astronauts to the Moon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Artemis program as a whole consists of both a crewed exploration program and robotic exploration programs. Both serve to better explore the Moon and push the industry to achieve new heights and solve harder and harder challenges.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-orion-and-sls-crew-shakedown\">Orion and SLS crew shakedown<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Artemis 2\u2019s role in the program is to serve as a crewed test flight of both the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket. While Artemis 1 was an uncrewed test, Artemis 2 will see four astronauts fly around the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972.<\/p>\n<p>\t<span class=\"outbrain-ad-label\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t<script type=\"text\/plain\">\n\t\t\twindow.adSlotsConfig = window.adSlotsConfig || [];<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\tadSlotsConfig.push( {\n\t\t\t\tslotID: '\/1049447\/Outbrain',\n\t\t\t\tslotName: 'div-gpt-ad-outbrain-ad-44085',\n\t\t\t\tsizes: [300, 250],\n\t\t\t\tslotPosition: 'mid_article'\n\t\t\t} );\n\t\t<\/script><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With crew onboard, NASA will get their first set of real-world data on the spacecraft, learning how well it performs in space and if any changes need to be made to future spacecraft.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The role of Artemis 2 in the greater Artemis Program is similar to Apollo 8, which saw an overall shakedown of the system on a flyby around the Moon before NASA attempts a landing. The breakup of missions allows NASA to not try too many new things at once because when problems arise, which usually always do on space missions, nothing will be too big of a deal during crucial parts of the missions. (You don\u2019t want to be dealing with a life support issue when trying to dock with a commercial lander for the first time, do you?)<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"43971\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/2026\/01\/19\/artemis-2s-ride-to-space-is-at-the-pad-to-begin-prelaunch-tests\/_1188896\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/1188896.jpg?quality=82&amp;strip=all\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1000\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-title=\"Artemis 2 sls rollout\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\n\n<p>Image: Steven Madow \/ Space Explored<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/1188896.jpg?quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024&#8243; height=&#8221;512&#8243; width=&#8221;1024&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/1188896.jpg?quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024&#8243; alt=&#8221;&#8221; class=&#8221;wp-image-43971&#8243; srcset=&#8221;https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/1188896.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/1188896.jpg?resize=300,150 300w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/1188896.jpg?resize=768,384 768w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/1188896.jpg?resize=1024,512 1024w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/1188896.jpg?resize=1536,768 1536w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/1188896.jpg?resize=350,175 350w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/1188896.jpg?resize=140,70 140w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/1188896.jpg?resize=1600,800 1600w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/1188896.jpg?resize=290,145 290w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/1188896.jpg?resize=600,300 600w, https:\/\/spaceexplored.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/1188896.jpg?resize=150,75 150w&#8221; sizes=&#8221;(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px&#8221;><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Artemis 2\u2019s rocket rolls out to the launch pad ahead of launch. Image: Steven Madow \/ Space Explored<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-first-non-american-and-woman-around-the-moon\">First non-American and woman around the Moon<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The biggest achievement that will take place on Artemis 2 will be that its crew will feature the first non-American (Canadian) and the first woman to fly around the Moon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NASA astronaut Christina Koch was selected to be a part of the Artemis 2 crew as a mission specialist. Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen will also join the crew as a mission specialist. The final two members of the crew are also from NASA: mission commander Reid Wiseman and pilot Victor Glover. Glover will also become the first person of color to fly to the Moon.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-artemis-mission-shakeup\">Artemis mission shakeup<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Artemis 2 is the first mission of the program after the massive shake-up of the overall structure and objectives laid out last week. Originally, the Artemis Program was designed to feature a lunar space station and a commercial lunar lander. Orion would dock to the station and then transfer to a commercially provided lander for surface operations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new plan will now consist of a potentially $30 billion lunar base on the surface, with the lunar space station now on pause. NASA is reviewing all of its current lunar programs to see where they can incorporate technologies to make it work and is rethinking some parts of the Artemis program, like the current lunar terrain vehicle, to ensure they fit the new objectives.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NASA also changed up flights of the Artemis Program. Artemis 3 was originally slated to be NASA\u2019s return to the Moon\u2019s surface with a landing provided by SpaceX\u2019s Starship rocket. However, this will now be similar to Apollo 9, testing out docking with a commercial lander in low Earth orbit. Artemis 4 will be the new mission to feature a crewed lunar landing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Artemis 2 is the start of what will hopefully become regular and much more frequent missions to the Moon. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman hopes to ensure skills are retained and that there is enough manpower to make it happen. Launches that are years apart, he says, will never lead to a successful return to the Moon that will hopefully be permanent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Artemis 2\u2019s rocket rolls out to the launch pad ahead of launch. Image: Steven Madow \/ Space Explored First non-American and woman around the Moon The biggest achievement that will take place on Artemis 2 will be that its crew will feature the first non-American (Canadian) and the first woman to fly around the Moon. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21270"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21270"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21270\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}