In December 1968, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration launched the Apollo 8 mission: the first crewed lunar flyby. Four years later, the final mission of the Apollo program, Apollo 17, launched into space. Its return to Earth on Dec. 19, 1972, marked the end of human presence in lunar orbit — until April 2026.
Announced in 2019, the Artemis program, a five-mission plan to return astronauts to the moon’s surface, launched Artemis II April 1, initiating the first crewed flight aboard the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. Over just under 10 days, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen circled the moon, setting the record for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth in the process.
As NASA wrote, the main goal of Artemis II was to evaluate the Orion spacecraft’s “systems, procedures and performance in deep space.” The four astronauts verified the functionality of systems — such as navigation and life support — and performed or oversaw various activities, providing insight and data for future Artemis endeavors.
Science Department Chair Hanna Robertson noted that while Apollo and Artemis share the same mission of placing astronauts on the moon, the Artemis program seeks to add a new layer of depth to Apollo’s research, with the hope of one day landing humans on Mars.
“We’ve done a lunar flyby before, but it was 50 years ago with different technology, so this is testing new technology that is setting the groundwork for going even further,” Robertson said, “establishing more of a long-term future potential for space exploration.”
Science teacher Carmen Sahagún said she first learned about Artemis in college, as she had a colleague majoring in astrophysics. She continued to follow the project after her graduation, saying that rather than working alone, NASA is collaborating with SpaceX, Blue Origin and other companies. She found the many contributions to be particularly impactful and unifying.
“The camaraderie and excitement has just been building as Artemis has had success and success and success,” Sahagún said. “Also, the Apollo missions had some mistakes for not double-checking when scientists and mathematicians said we might have a problem. They just wanted to launch, so there wasn’t really any intervention to prevent those problems. I think NASA is really dedicated this time to doing right by the people risking their lives going into space.”
From rocket launch to splashdown, sophomore Charlotte Bloomfield said she excitedly followed the project. As a member of Archer’s Inventing Smart Solutions Class & Club, Bloomfield emphasized the importance of collaboration between scientific fields, such as physics and engineering.
“It’s really cool to see that humanity is able to achieve this level of scientific advancement to the point where we can fully leave our planet, and I feel so much FOMO. I wish I was there with them,” Bloomfield said. “I saw a bunch of the photos that they took and it was so cool — I’m in that photo, and it was very unifying to have the entirety of Earth captured in one photo.”
In addition to finding the mission’s scientific contributions to be valuable, Sahagún said Artemis II is not only a mission, but a moment of global solidarity.
“Every single mission specialist on Artemis II is so well spoken, and they just make you feel very positive about Earth and about humanity, which I think a lot of us are really craving right now,” Sahagún said. “We’re in the middle of nothingness, and somehow life on Earth exists, and we all have a responsibility to protect it.”
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, NASA’s first female launch director, led the countdown for Artemis II. Robertson said she hopes Archer students will see themselves in positions like Blackwell-Thompson’s. Even if students are not interested in scientific careers, she hopes that the representation inspires self-assurance and confidence.
“I remember feeling choked up and on the verge of tears,” Robertson said. “Before the launch even happened, just as they’re getting ready for it and counting down, hearing the launch director as a woman who helped to lead this mission made me feel very proud about where we are right now.”
While the Apollo era can be characterized by exclusively white male astronauts, the Artemis II mission brought the first person of color and woman into deep space. Bloomfield said this signifies a new era of extraterrestrial research and exploration.
“I really want to pursue a STEM field, so just seeing it felt so inspiring,” Bloomfield said. “When I was in elementary school, I would go to these STEM events and be the only girl there, so Christina Koch is showing me that by being really smart, I can do that too and be in those male-dominated spaces.”
Similar to Bloomfield, Sahagún said a lack of representation can discourage and ostracize young learners from pursuing STEM fields. These astronauts are a reminder, she said.
“It’s really important for young boys of color, young girls of color, girls in general, to see,” Sahagún said. “It does not matter where you come from; you can work hard and be the best of the best, and it’s not based on anything other than your own merit and your own effort.”
The first Artemis lunar landing, Artemis IV, is currently intended for early 2028. The mission will return astronauts to lunar orbit, where two crew members will spend roughly a week near the Moon’s south pole, executing research. While the future remains uncertain, Sahagún said she hopes that students worldwide will see themselves represented in Artemis astronauts.
“As a Latina in STEM, that’s already very rare — to have a college degree — but there are still other ethnicities and walks of life that are very low in getting a college education, and being in STEM in general is even lower for a lot of people of color, especially women of color, so it’s really important for me to keep showing my students that these missions have diversity because that’s the reality of our world.”
