NASA Sets February 2026 Target for First Moon Mission in 50+ Years

[RedCowboy]

NASA has set a target date of February 2026 for its Artemis II mission, marking the first crewed lunar orbit in over 50 years. The mission will see four astronauts, including Victor Glover and Christina Koch, who will become the first person of color and first woman to travel to the moon, respectively. The 10-day mission will test new life support systems and spacecraft technologies, paving the way for future Artemis III lunar landing. The Artemis II mission is a significant step forward in space exploration, with the goal of returning humans to the Moon and establishing a long-term presence for scientific discovery and economic development.


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Artemis Archives - NASA

www.nasa.gov

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[Ricker]

"50+ Years"

 

[RedCowboy]

Yeah, we should have done so much more, but hopefully we will see some progress in our lifetimes, maybe a moonbase?

Helium-3, a rare isotope on Earth but abundant on the Moon, is being explored for its potential as a clean energy source and has sparked interest in lunar mining initiatives.

Abundance​

Helium-3 is produced naturally by the Sun and carried to the Moon via solar wind. Unlike Earth, which is shielded by its magnetic field, the Moon has been bombarded with Helium-3 over billions of years, making it significantly more abundant there. Estimates suggest that Helium-3 exists in the lunar regolith in parts per billion, which means extracting it requires processing large volumes of lunar soil.

 

[RedCowboy]

SpaceX proposes ‘simplified’ moon mission as it seeks to retain lunar contract

NASA's chief said recently he's reopening bids for the Artemis III contract that it awarded SpaceX in 2021. SpaceX has now responded.

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