Lunar Ambitions: NASA's Artemis II Milestone

NASA achieved a significant milestone on March 25, 2025, at its Florida spaceport, where technicians successfully joined the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s core stage with its solid rocket boosters for the Artemis II mission. Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Exploration Ground Systems Program, alongside contractor Amentum, utilised one of five overhead cranes to hoist the 212-foot core stage into position. This towering component, the rocket’s structural backbone, was lifted from the transfer aisle to High Bay 3 and secured between booster segments atop the launch tower. The core stage will eventually support the launch vehicle stage adapter, interim cryogenic propulsion stage, Orion stage adapter, and Orion spacecraft, with the adapter’s integration slated for the coming weeks. This success marks a tangible step toward launching Artemis II, a 10-day crewed mission to orbit the Moon, targeted for as early as February 2026 and no later than April of that year. 

Artemis II will carry astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen on a historic flight—the first crewed lunar mission since 1972 and the farthest humans will have travelled in over five decades. Notably, Koch was once poised to become the first woman on the Moon under Artemis III, now scheduled for mid-2027. However, plans have shifted. Initially, Artemis III promised a lunar landing with Koch potentially making history as the first woman to step onto the lunar surface. Delays and technical challenges, particularly with SpaceX’s Starship—slated to ferry astronauts to the Moon’s surface—have cast doubt on this timeline. Starship’s recent test flights ended in explosions shortly after launch, raising concerns about its readiness. Consequently, NASA has adjusted its ambitions, prioritising Artemis II’s orbital test over an immediate landing, pushing the goal of landing the first woman, likely Koch, to a later mission.
 

Globally, NASA’s Artemis program operates amid a renewed lunar race. China aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030, while Russia and India also pursue ambitious lunar exploration plans. NASA’s strategy emphasises sustainability, aiming to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon as a stepping stone to Mars. Collaborations with private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin underscore this vision, though setbacks have tempered optimism. Artemis II’s upcoming flight will not only validate deep space systems but also signal NASA’s intent to lead in this competitive landscape. For Koch and Glover, the mission represents a breakthrough, marking the first woman and person of colour to reach deep space—yet the dream of a woman’s lunar footprint remains deferred, tethered to the pace of technological progress and international rivalry.