NASA astronauts to head back toward Moon for first time in 50 years

NASA astronauts will soon be heading back to the Moon for the first time in 50 years, Euronews writes.

NASA’s Artemis II mission, scheduled for launch on Feb. 6 this year, will send four astronauts on a journey around the Moon, before returning to Earth’s atmosphere at a record speed of approximately 40,000 km/h.

While the voyage will not include a Moonlanding, it represents a key step in the United States’ plan to establish a long-term human presence beyond low Earth orbit.

Artemis II is the second mission in NASA’s Artemis program, launched in 2017 to return humans to the Moon and eventually send astronauts to Mars. It will also provide important data that will be used for future Moon missions.