50 Years Later, We Go Back: Artemis II Carries Humanity Beyond Earth’s Edge

A new generation will watch humans leave Earth again—for the first time since 1972, when Apollo 17 brought astronauts home, as NASA prepares Artemis II for launch between April 1st and April 6th (no earlier than April 1st).

Humanity is about to send people back toward the Moon once again.

But this is not just a return. It’s a new chapter. A bridge between the past and the present.

Where the Apollo missions were driven by Cold War competition, the Artemis era feels different. This time, it’s about collaboration… and even future survival.

Similar to how the International Space Station was built—only bigger—this is a shared global investment led by NASA and its international partners.

Europe (ESA) built the Orion spacecraft’s service module, providing power, propulsion, oxygen, and water. Canada (CSA) is building Canadarm3 for the Lunar Gateway—a robotic arm that will help maintain and assemble space infrastructure in orbit. Japan (JAXA) is contributing life support systems and logistics, while also working on pressurized lunar rovers.

And then there’s the survival piece.

The Moon is becoming a testing ground for Mars and beyond. NASA and its partners are learning how to live in extreme environments… how to recycle air and water… how to grow and sustain food systems plus so much more.

If we can survive on the Moon, then eventually—we can survive on Mars.

Right now, humanity exists on one planet only. But this is the beginning of thinking beyond that.

Not tomorrow… but eventually.

Artemis is not about escaping Earth. It’s about understanding it—and protecting our future.

With Artemis II, we will go farther than any human has ever traveled—reaching approximately 4,700 miles beyond the Moon.

This mission will be crewed by:

Reid Wiseman

Victor Glover

Christina Koch

Jeremy Hansen

They will launch aboard the most powerful rocket ever built—the Space Launch System (SLS)—from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The mission is expected to last about 10 days.

They will not land on the Moon. Instead this is a lunar flyby—a critical practice run before humans step foot on the Moon again.

The crew will first orbit Earth briefly to test systems…

and then begin the journey outward—beyond Earth’s edge, traveling nearly 4,700 miles past the far side of the Moon.

This moment reaches far beyond science—it’s cultural, human, and deeply connected to who we are. A new generation will watch this launch and feel something familiar… curiosity, wonder and the pull to look up again.

Here at Vibe USA, we celebrate learning as much as we can about the world we live in—and the worlds beyond it. We’re excited for what Artemis II will discover, for the stories it will bring back and for the safe return of its crew here to Earth. And when you pass by the Moon… give it a wave for all of us, Artemis II.

🚀 Image Credit: NASA

The Artemis I mission launched NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on November 16, 2022, from Kennedy Space Center. This uncrewed mission marked the beginning of a new lunar era and paved the way for Artemis II.