NASA’s Artemis II plans to send a crew around the Moon to test equipment and lay the groundwork for a future landing

Several robotic spacecraft orbiting the Moon can take detailed pictures of its surface, so why send people around the Moon? A planetary geologist explains the benefits.

By: Margaret Landis, Arizona State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: February 3, 2026

Words: 1,407

Last Updated: 2 weeks ago

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By Margaret Landis, Arizona State University

Almost as tall as a football field, NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and capsule stack traveled slowly – just under 1 mile per hour – out to the Artemis II launchpad, its temporary home at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Jan. 17, 2026. That slow crawl is in stark contrast to the peak velocity it will reach on launch day, over 22,000 miles per …

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