By Aadit Shrivastava ‘26, Feature Staff Writer

Artemis I rocket. (Image courtesy of Flickr.)

It has been over 50 years since the Apollo 11 landing when the first humans set foot on the moon in 1969. Now, NASA is leading the Artemis program: a collaboration with commercial and international partners to establish the first long-term presence on the Moon. The aspiration behind Artemis is to lay the groundwork for interplanetary societies in the Solar System. NASA outlines three main objectives for the Artemis mission on its webpage: “Scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers.” 

First, Artemis will study more lunar geology than ever before, implementing rovers after the installation of the Artemis Base Camp on the Moon. NASA then hopes to use Artemis as a springboard into a lunar economy, fueling industry and the creation of a new, skilled workforce. While there is not a clear indication as to what particular industries NASA’s focus is within, many of Artemis’ partners are major manufacturing companies collaborating to establish a lunar society and harvest natural resources from the Moon. Applying research gained from missions to and on the Moon, NASA hopes to send humans to Mars as a final Artemis mission. NASA says that as a global leader in astronomy, on behalf of the United States, they should pave the way for international cooperation toward landing on Mars.

Moreover, NASA aims to foster diversity, equity, & inclusion, and youth leadership in astronomical fields. Especially considering its minimal success in empowering underrepresented backgrounds, NASA seeks to recalibrate its DEI initiatives through the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity. On the Artemis mission webpage, NASA says they will “land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon,” important steps towards increasing diversity in astronomy. Leslie Llivicota ‘26 expresses, “It is incredibly empowering for me to see underrepresented backgrounds, especially women of color, taking on leading roles in significant scientific discoveries.” Additionally, one of NASA’s primary tenets is inspiring youth in terms of educating younger children and fostering interest in STEM fields. For instance, NASA provides educational resources and publishes articles for students from kindergarten through high school. Additionally, NASA hosts several competitions with prompts based on the Artemis program, such as coding an app that visualizes the south pole of the Moon. Daniel Ikuno ‘26 says, “It is super cool how NASA is trying to start the ‘Artemis Generation’ and bring more youth involvement into the project.”

On December 11, 2022, Artemis I splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, marking the completion of the first mission in the new Artemis program by NASA. Artemis I was a test for the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion module. The SLS is the most powerful rocket ever constructed, which will be used as the primary launch vehicle. The Orion module is a partly reusable crewed spacecraft that will also be used for several future missions. Following the splashdown of Artemis I, many politicians congratulated NASA, including Kamala Harris, vice-president of the United States and chair of the National Space Council. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said, “NASA is basically nonpartisan. R’s and D’s [Republicans and Democrats] alike come together to join us.” The nation was in awe of NASA’s accomplishment and is excited to see how the Artemis missions progress. 

The NA community had different perspectives on the significance and relevance of the Artemis mission. For instance, Ikuno initially did not know about Artemis. However, upon further research, he says, “I feel connected [to the Artemis mission] because astronauts are exploring the moon during our lifetime, and it is almost like we are involved in our own Age of Exploration.” On another note, an anonymous junior at Newark Academy feels “indifferent to the landing.” She continues, “I believe that the landing’s findings will not impact my daily life.” As far away and insignificant as the mission may seem, Artemis aims to lay a foundation for interplanetary living and survival beyond astronomical studies, which is why the final mission is to send astronauts to Mars. NASA hopes that one day, our generation will be able to leave the limits of Earth and find a new home elsewhere.