Artemis II is ending, how long before NASA gets back to the moon?

Summary

---

Consider This from NPR: "Artemis II is ending, how long before NASA gets back to the moon?"

Date: April 10, 2026
Host: Scott Detrow
Guest: Joel Achenbach, Science Reporter

---

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the conclusion of NASA’s Artemis II mission—the first crewed journey beyond Earth's orbit in more than five decades. Hosts and guest experts reflect on Artemis II’s historic achievements, the significance for NASA and space exploration, and the major hurdles remaining before astronauts once again set foot on the lunar surface. The discussion probes why it’s taken so long to return to the moon, what Artemis II accomplished technically and culturally, and whether future lunar ambitions are truly within reach amid international competition and technological obstacles.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Historical Significance of Artemis II

• Return after 54 Years:
  NASA’s Artemis II represented the first human voyage beyond Earth's orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972 ([02:37]).
• Record-Breaking Distance:
  Astronaut Jeremy Hansen and crew traveled a staggering 252,006,756 miles from Earth ([00:29]).
  • Quote:

    "We will continue our journey even further into space before Mother Earth succeeds in pulling us back to everything that we hold dear. But we most importantly, choose this moment to challenge this generation and the next to make sure this record is not long lived."
    — Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II Astronaut ([00:29])

• Symbolic and Cultural Victory:
  Joel Achenbach calls Artemis II "a huge win" for NASA, noting the excitement and positive attention the agency received ([03:34]).

---

2. The Long Road Back to the Moon

• Start-Stop Progress Since the 2000s:
  The idea of returning to the moon was reignited after the Columbia disaster, with President George W. Bush’s 2004 commitment, leading to more than 20 years of intermittent progress and delays ([03:34]).
  • Quote:

    "It's been a start and stop process. Many delays. You know, I'll be honest, I often wondered, is this really ever gonna happen? Are we really gonna send astronauts back to the vicinity of the moon?"
    — Joel Achenbach ([03:34])

• Changing Plans & Challenges:
  Artemis mission goals and timelines have been revised multiple times, including recent shifts under the Trump administration ([06:10]).
  NASA still lacks a lunar lander for crewed landings as planned.

---

3. Technical and Scientific Achievements of Artemis II

• Proof of Capability:
  Successful Artemis II—orbiting the moon and returning safely—shows NASA can still execute ambitious missions ([04:42]).

  • Quote:

    "It just proves that NASA can still do these amazing things. It can send people to the moon and bring them back safely."
    — Joel Achenbach ([04:42])

• Modern Documentation and Experiments:
  The mission boasted advanced photography of 'earthrise' and 'earthset,' far superior to Apollo-era visuals. Astronauts also conducted unique biological experiments under deep space conditions ([04:42]).

• Apollo Comparisons:
  Unlike Apollo 13’s loop-around mission, Artemis II’s journey enabled more comprehensive scientific experiments thanks to today’s technology ([04:42]).

---

4. Future Prospects and Obstacles for Lunar Return

• No Lander Yet:
  NASA has yet to develop or receive a lunar lander from SpaceX or Blue Origin, casting uncertainty on the timeline for actual lunar surface missions ([04:42], [06:10]).

• International Competition:
  There is a perception of a "race" with China, particularly over access to the lunar South Pole and its valuable resources like water ice ([06:33]).

  • Quote:

    "There is this notion that we're in a race against China to get to the lunar South Pole where there are resources that are coveted by both countries. There's water ice, permanently shadowed craters have water ice in them... And there's a notion that in the coming decades... there is going to be a trillion dollar space economy and the moon is a good platform for operating."
    — Joel Achenbach ([06:33])

• A Cautious Optimism:
  Achenbach closes with an upbeat but realistic outlook, noting NASA’s current success—but the road ahead remains long, with major engineering, financial, and international uncertainties ([06:33]).

  • Quote:

    "This has been a great week for NASA. So let's, you know, let's... applaud them at the moment for how well this has gone and how brilliant the astronauts have been. And it's just been fun to watch... it's hard not to feel, hey, we're back in the game."
    — Joel Achenbach ([06:33])

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jeremy Hansen:
  "We most importantly, choose this moment to challenge this generation and the next to make sure this record is not long lived." ([00:29])
• Joel Achenbach on Artemis II’s meaning:
  "A huge win. I mean, it has just been so exciting. The astronauts have been amazing. NASA needed a win." ([03:34])
• A Reality Check:
  "They don't physically have the lander to go down and land on the moon as is planned right now."
  — Scott Detrow ([06:10])
• The international perspective:
  "There is this notion that we're in a race against China to get to the lunar South Pole where there are resources that are coveted by both countries."
  — Joel Achenbach ([06:33])

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:07] — Artemis II’s record-breaking journey and return
• [02:37] — Setting historic context: 54 years since last deep space flight
• [03:34] — Joel Achenbach discusses NASA’s need for a win and Artemis II’s significance
• [04:42] — Artemis II’s engineering and scientific achievements; lack of a lunar lander
• [06:10] — Review of shifting Artemis plans, the lunar lander gap
• [06:33] — Discussion of the competitive landscape and future prospects for lunar exploration
• [07:36] — Closing remarks; reflection on NASA’s revival

---

Summary & Tone

This episode captures the excitement and challenges surrounding Artemis II’s return, blending technical analysis with a sense of historical wonder and cautious optimism. Both speakers express pride and awe at NASA’s achievement, while remaining clear-eyed about the sobering obstacles—technological, financial, and geopolitical—that still stand between Artemis II and a true return to the lunar surface. Their tone shifts from celebratory to pragmatic, leaving listeners with appreciation for what was accomplished and awareness of the long road still ahead.

Transcript

[Scott Detrow]

After looping around the moon, witnessing an eclipse from space, surpassing the furthest distance

[Joel Achenbach]

humans have ever traveled from planet Earth.

[Scott Detrow]

And yes, doing some high stress repairs on their space toilet, NASA's four astronaut crew of Artemis 2 is coming home. Here's Canadian Space agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen marking their record breaking journey. He and the crew traveled 252,006, 756 miles from Earth.

[Joel Achenbach]

We will continue our journey even further into space before Mother Earth succeeds in pulling us back to everything that we hold dear. But we most importantly, choose this moment to challenge this generation and the next to make sure this record is not long lived.

[Scott Detrow]

Make sure the record is not long lived, hanson challenged. Consider it took more than 50 years for humans to return to the moon. Is it going to take another 50 before NASA can get back? From npr, I'm Scott Detrow.

[Mint Mobile Announcer]

This message comes from Mint Mobile. If you're tired of spending hundreds on big wireless bills, bogus fees and free perks, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop [e-mail] Switch taxes and fees extra. See Mint Mobile for details. This message comes from Betterment. You know, when you sell a stock or any investing asset and start to feel the dread of getting a surprise tax bill, Betterment's tax Impact Preview tool shows you the estimated tax impact of the sale so you can make informed tax smart investing decisions. Get started [e-mail] investing involves risk performance, not guaranteed. Betterment is not a tax advisor, nor should any information herein be considered tax advice. Please consult a qualified tax professional.

[Mike Townsend]

This message comes from feeling heavy and depleted. Prolon's five day Fasting Mimicking diet aims to make it easy to reset your body habits and energy. Developed at USC's Longevity Institute, the the goal of Prolon's nutrition program is to rejuvenate you from within by working at the cellular level to support fat loss, glowing skin and Sharper Focus. Get 15% off plus a bonus gift when you subscribe at prolonlife.com NPR.

[Scott Detrow]

It's consider this from NPR. 54 years. That is how long it's been since human beings last traveled beyond Earth's orbit, since the crew of Apollo 17 left the moon behind in December 1972. This week, NASA's Artemis 2 mission changed that. Four astronauts flew around the moon aboard their Orion spacecraft, snapping stunning photographs of Earthrise and Earth set and setting a new record for the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth. By any measure, it was a milestone. But it also raises a bigger question, one that has followed NASA for decades. Why did it take so long. And given everything we know about the agency's plans, budget battles, and the growing shadow of China's lunar ambitions, is the road ahead actually realistic? Joel Achenbach is a science reporter who's been tracking Artemis since the beginning. Welcome.

[Joel Achenbach]

Well, thank you for having me.

[Scott Detrow]

Let's just step back a moment. What did this week represent to you? How significant was this for NASA?

[Joel Achenbach]

This was a huge win. I mean, it has just been so exciting. The astronauts have been amazing. NASA needed a win. I mean, NASA's had a rough time in various ways, including how long it's taken to get back to the moon. You got to keep in mind, the idea of going back to the moon surfaced after the Columbia space shuttle disaster. And President Bush, George W. Bush said, we're going to go back to the moon. That was 2004. So that's 22 years ago. And it's been a start and stop process. Many delays. You know, I'll be honest, I often wondered, is this really ever gonna happen? Are we really gonna send astronauts back to the vicinity of the moon?

[Scott Detrow]

And you and I are talking hours before the planned splashdown. So that's obviously the big question hanging in the air right now. Let's talk about what NASA got out of this week. Obviously, it got a lot of pr. It got a lot of positive attention and energy from this. What do you think the most important engineering and scientific gains from Artemis 2 have been? And what would a successful splashdown prove?

[Joel Achenbach]

Well, it just proves that NASA can still do these amazing things. It can send people to the moon and bring them back safely. You can make an argument that this mission didn't prove that much. NASA doesn't have a lander for its Artemis program to actually land people on the moon. And so that's probably going to take a while before they. They get their contractors, SpaceX or Blue Origin, to produce a lander. But, you know, I was old enough to watch the Apollo program and it was thrilling and exciting. We did not have back in 1969 and 1970 and 71 anything like the ability to document a moon mission like we do today. So visually, this has been stunning. The astronauts also, they're doing a lot of experimen. There are a lot of biological experiments to see what happens to their bodies. This is different from going up to the International Space Station, which is about 250 miles above the surface. You know, they're out there, you know, 250,000 miles away. I mean, yes, we've been to the moon before, and frankly, you know, Apollo 13 did a kind of a similar kind of mission where they did the flyby, but this that we have the ability to scientifically to do experiments that no one did back in the late 60s or early 70s.

[Scott Detrow]

Let's just reality check the next few steps because the plans for Artemis going forward have changed many times, changed again recently under the Trump administration. And you just mentioned the most important thing. They don't physically have the lander to go down and land on the moon as is planned right now. What are your biggest question marks and what are you looking for ahead to over the next few years to reality check this?

[Joel Achenbach]

Well, I mean, the there is this notion that we're in a race against China to get to the lunar South Pole where there are resources that are coveted by both countries. There's water ice, permanently shadowed craters have water ice in them. There are some mountains there that are always in sunlight where you could potentially have solar panels and energy sources. And there's a notion that in the coming decades, you know, that there is going to be a trillion dollar space economy and the moon is a good platform for operating. But this has been a great week for NASA. So let's, you know, let's, let's just applaud them at the moment for, for how well this has gone and how, how brilliant the astronauts have been. And it's just, it' it's just been fun to watch. And, you know, it's kind of it's hard not to feel, hey, we're back in the game.

[Scott Detrow]

Joel Achenbach, science reporter who's been tracking Artemis and NASA, thank you so much for talking to us.

[Joel Achenbach]

Thank you.

[Scott Detrow]

This episode was produced by Lena Muhammad and Karen Zamora. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Thanks to our Consider this Plus listeners who support the work of NPR journalists and help keep public radio strong. Supporters also hear every episode without messages from sponsors and they unlock bonus episodes of Consider this. You can Learn more at plus.NPR.org It's Consider this from NPR. I'm Scott Detrow.

[Mint Mobile Announcer]

This message comes from Mintmobile. If you're tired of spending hundreds on big wireless bills, bogus fees and free perks, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop [e-mail] Switch taxes and fees extra. See Mint Mobile for details.

[Mike Townsend]

Support for NPR and the following message come from Washington Wise decisions made in Washington can affect your portfolio every day. Washington Wise from Charles Schwab is an original podcast that unpacks the stories making news and how they may affect your finances and portfolio. Host Mike Townsend and his guests explore policy initiatives for retirement, savings, taxes, trade and more. Download the latest episode and [e-mail] WashingtonWise or wherever you listen.