Artemis II Mission Overview

The Artemis II astronauts explain how their mission is a test mission, laying the groundwork for the next generations who will build on this knowledge for future exploration.

What is said in the film

We're going back to the moon because it's the next step in our journey to Mars. We need to go explore the moon. There's vast regions of unexplored areas with the coldest, darkest places in our solar system. This is a test mission, and when we get off the planet, we might come right back home. We might spend 3 or 4 days around Earth.

We might go to the moon. That's where we want to go. But it is a test mission and we are ready for every scenario as we ride this amazing Space Launch System and the Orion spacecraft. But another reason we're going back to the moon is to fulfill NASA's mission, which is to explore the unknown in air and space, to innovate for the benefit of humanity, and to inspire the world through discovery. And when we succeed, and when we accomplish the things that we set out to accomplish, that inspiration not only can set up new things to happen, but it also is a reminder in tough times that we're capable of doing great things when we work together.

The thing I love about the moon is that it's not just a beacon for exploration and this platform of possibilities for incredible missions like this, but it has benefits. That's actually why we're racing towards it. Those benefits are really wide in nature. You have everything from innovation, technology development, not only for future missions going deeper into the solar system, but technologies as it come back to Earth. You have inspiration.

A whole generation of people starting this pipeline of STEM workers and manufacturers and operators that are excited to see what you can do when you work hard and you come together as a team. When I think about the four of us flying around the far side of the moon, seeing that Earthrise, taking images and video and sending them back to you, the feeling that I have inside is hope. We know that Artemis two is not the solution for humanity on planet Earth, but it is a contribution in the positive column. We hope that just for a moment, that people will pause and say, wow, it's extraordinary. When you look back upon the earth with over 8 billion people and you see this concrete example of what humanity can do, this extraordinary thing.

When we set big goals and we work together to achieve them.

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