The Daily Today’s Mission to the Moon
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Apr 1, 2026 
Kenneth Chang, a New York Times science reporter covering NASA and the solar system, breaks down Artemis II’s trip around the moon. He gets into why America is racing back, the historic four-person crew, the cramped ten-day flight, a dramatic pass by the moon’s far side, and how old-school NASA plans collide with commercial space ambitions.
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Artemis II Tests Human Survival Before Landing
- Artemis II is NASA’s stepwise test of whether humans can survive a lunar trip before any landing attempt.
- Artemis I proved the spacecraft; Artemis II adds four people to test life support with real carbon dioxide, water, and waste for 10 days.
Why The United States Wants To Return To The Moon
- NASA says returning to the moon is about building a lasting foothold, not repeating Apollo’s brief visits.
- Kenneth Chang says a moon base could support science, helium-3 mining, far-side radio astronomy, Mars technology testing, and competition with China over rules and resources.
The Crew Carrying Artemis II History
- The Artemis II crew blends military pilots, veteran space travelers, and Canada’s first deep-space astronaut.
- Reed Wiseman leaves his daughters after his wife died; Victor Glover becomes the first Black man to go to the moon; Jeremy Hansen jokes NASA can blame Canada if anything fails.