The NASA Artemis II mission, set to lift off as soon as February, will mark the first time astronauts have aimed to venture beyond near-Earth orbit since 1972.

For years, the Moon has sat quietly in the background of space news, always present but rarely urgent. That has begun to change. In early 2026, NASA p.

Whether Artemis ultimately fulfills its promise of sustained lunar exploration, or is reshaped by politics, budgets and competition with China, the program's first crewed flight around the moon will mark a definitive turning point. In 2026, humanity isn't just planning to return to lunar space — it's actually going.