Artemis II Is Returning to Earth, but Why Did It Go to the Moon in the First Place?

The story of Artemis II has been a remarkable boon in uncertain times for the United States, and now that it's almost back to Earth, some people are wondering why the mission happened at all. Artemis II didn't actually land on the moon, but it did orbit it, and made history by sending astronauts further away from the planet than they had ever been before.

Although the mission has undeniably been very cool to watch, here's what we know about why NASA sent the astronauts up there to begin with.

At a high level, the goal of Artemis II is to test out NASA's capabilities for deeper space missions, including more trips to the moon and eventually travel to Mars. As NASA itself has explained: "Artemis II astronauts are putting the Orion spacecraft through a series of planned tests to evaluate systems, procedures, and performance in deep space."

So while we're just seeing the beautiful views of Earth and the moon, the astronauts are not just up there to sightsee.

"They will conduct manual spacecraft operations and monitor automated activities; evaluate Orion’s life-support, propulsion, power, thermal, and navigation systems; perform proximity operations activities; assess habitability and crew interfaces; and participate in science activities, including lunar surface observations and human health studies, that will inform science operations on future Moon missions," NASA's explanation continues.

Ultimately, then, Artemis II is a test mission to determine the overall viability of the Artemis program so that further deep-space missions can take place. It's an iterative step in a program that already has additional missions planned out, but it has made so much news because it's the first manned space flight to travel around the moon in decades, and it speaks to NASA's long-term commitment to space exploration.

Artemis II is scheduled to splash down off the coast of San Diego at 8:07 p.m. EDT (5:07 p.m. PDT) on Friday, April 10. After splashdown, the crew of the Artemis will be recovered by helicopter and transported to the USS John P. Murtha. After 10 days in space, the crew will receive medical evaluations and then begin reporting on their findings from the mission (which they have also been doing from space).

The Artemis II follows on the Artemis I, which was an unmanned mission, but as NASA explains, having a human crew observe the moon can be crucial for making additional discoveries.

"Human eyes and brains are highly sensitive to subtle changes in color, texture, and other surface characteristics," they write.

"Having astronaut eyes observe the lunar surface directly, in combination with the context of all the advances that scientists have made about the Moon over the last several decades, may uncover new discoveries and a more nuanced appreciation for the features on the surface of the Moon."

The crew's mission has thus far been a success, and one that has inspired people across the country.